What-Ifs and Memories
by Cryptek12
Summary: This is a collection of stories I made, centering around the many OCs of Brave Frontiers. The short stories you will find here can range from what-ifs to crossovers of other universes. What if he and she met each other? What if they lived in that universe? What if they got into this and that? This collection can be that kind of entertainment waiting inside. (OCs requested!)
1. Anniversary (Part I)

_**Author's Note: This story is a new collection I thought up of, to be filled with all sorts of stories, be it crossovers with other media and series and such, or what-ifs and situations that the OCs will be in. This is centered around the OCs, but there will obviously still be characters from Brave Frontier. I hope to work on this fanfiction nicely.**_

 _ **I thought it would be fitting for the first chapter to be a sort of overview of the current characters to be introduced in this story, but I hope for there to be more characters, seeing as I did not find or get permission to use most, if not ALL, of the OCs the authors on this site have. Working on this story can eat into my time to work on other stories, but this is simply an idea I wanted to show to all the readers here.**_

 _ **I hope you enjoy this preview!**_

 _ **And happy late Third Anniversary!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Brave Frontier belongs to A-Lim and Gumi.**_

* * *

 **[Recommended music: Kingdom Hearts II Music - Twilight Town (Roxas)]**

 _The Village of the Venturer_

 _The Kiyo Twins' House_

"Tsunma! Tsunma!"

Akuma gritted his teeth.

"Tsunma! _Baka tsundere!_ You're going to keep everyone waiting!"

The black-haired boy wanted nothing more than to smash the kid's face into pulp.

"Your precious Angel is waiting~" Fray called out in a monotone voice.

"Screw you kid!"

Akuma, looking freshly dressed in a dark suit, leapt from his balcony and aimed for two annoyingly cute cat ears.

Fray suddenly stepped aside, leaving him to plant his face to the ground.

"There you are Akuma. Those girls were not going to tear you apart," Fray chided. "You also cannot miss the Summoners' Hall's anniversary party as well, being one of the brave Summoners who led the charge. What kind of uncharacteristic behavior are you showing now, wuss?"

The demonic Summoner erupted from the ground, making a lunge for Fray, who stepped aside and stuck a foot out.

Akuma ate dirt once again.

"You do realize that Angel is attending the celebration right? There are less than honorable, lecherous Summoners who would sink into something there."

The older guy heard all of that, processing it all-

"ANGEL I'M COMING BABY!" he shouted, running off at top speed.

No! He will never let his twin be... taken!

* * *

 _Lunar Rin's House_

 _Lunar's Room_

 _Boom!_

"Oh gods," Lunar swore as she sorted through her dresses, "Selena? You alright?"

Selena yelled a muffled reply back. She probably got a new one ripped into her. The cannon that was recently fired probably had lost its ammunition in Selena's chest.

 _Swish!_

"Close call Dion!"

"L-Lunar, why in the world didn't you get rid of these traps? They're going to kill someone! In an incredibly innocent-looking backyard!"

"Sorry Dion, but uh, maybe I bought the top-grade ones?"

The Units cursed loudly as they released a trap full of Cerberuses.

Then someone rapped on her door.

"Lunar, are you ready?" Fray called through the door. "The celebration is to start in an hour."

"F-Fray! Gimme a sec!"

After some deliberation between 'sexy' and 'frilly', she went with a dark purple, strapless dress and showed herself off to Fray.

"How do I-" she started, but Fray grabbed her hand.

"Shimmer is already waiting, so you would do well to arrive in time," he said.

He led her to the front door, impatient and wanting to go outside in time for the celebration.

Well, he sure likes to be a mood-killer.

"But you look nice. I'm sure it will look better during nighttime," he told her.

Lunar cracked a smile, muttering, "Smooth..."

She turned to the house, shouting, "Guys, I'm gonna be gone, so, thanks for your sacrifice?"

Her Units answered back, agreeing that she has to help clean up once she got back.

She just chuckled.

"So where are we going Kuroneko?" Lunar asked, using her best nickname for Fray.

Fray gave her a look of disapproval that probably secretly meant he liked it, despite his stoic demeanor, in Lunar's opinion. "Mizuki-dono's house," he replied anyway.

"Ooh~ you gonna ask her for a-"

She yelped when he tightened his grip.

* * *

 _The Hakuryuus' Apartment_

"Mi~ Chan~" the eldest of the sisters cooed.

Akki was a dangerous assassin who had her own side that likes to get personal with Mizuki, so the younger sister would do her best avoiding, sometimes even going so far as to hide at a friend's place. Her older sister's next-to-perverted side was something to be cautious of after all.

Today, however, she enlisted the help of a trustworthy young man.

"What the- It's you brat? Oh don't you come and take a-"

 _Shiing!_ Something cut through the air. _Whump!_ Someone fell to the floor.

"Mizuki-dono." There he was.

"Fray-san," she called out, stepping out of the wardrobe she was hiding in. She smoothed out the wrinkles on her white kimono as she came to examine the damage.

"Large sleeping doses, enough to last until the next day," Fray reported, "although I am concerned with Akki-dono's resistance to most substances."

Mizuki shook her head. "It is fine. The mixture I gave you should at least guarantee four hours."

She went inside her room to grab her white fox mask and wore it around her head.

"That is an exquisite design Mizuki-dono." Fray was looking at the mask.

"Thank you. My parents..." she faltered.

The boy nodded in respect. "Shall we go now?"

"We shall."

* * *

 _James Graham's House_

 _Kitchen_

"Mr. Graham?" He heard Fray ask just outside the front door.

"Ah, hang on there Fray."

James fixed his black pinstriped suit some more and looked at himself in a mirror.

"James Graham," Valerie asked from another room, "you know how to use suits? But not dresses?"

"Why yes I do, and no to the last question. At least I can take care of clothes better than you."

Valerie was probably blushing with embarrassment. She already ripped two fine dresses and was forced to use her own zel to buy another one. She was being helped by one of his Units, Tora.

"T-Tora that's tight...!"

"S-Sorry! I am unfamiliar with this kind of dress..."

 _Riiippp!_

"Sorry! Sorrysorrysorry!"

"Gah, i-it's fine!"

Fray walked into the kitchen and scrutinized James. "You look rather sharp Mr. Graham, but I see that Miss Windell has a problem now."

James mouth twitched, wanting to correct him. But no matter how many times he told him to call James and Valerie by their first names, he deliberately ignored them and used their last names.

"Are the preparations going well?"

Fray nodded. "Elder Grahdens wanted something involving a bikini party at the beach, but Elder Owen put his foot down on that."

"What a relief. Why is that pervert still in charge?"

"Don't ask me. I am still a mercenary at best to them."

Valerie was heard wailing, Tora making a similar apologetic sound. James just sighed as Fray looked amused at this everyday activity.

At least they live normally, peacefully.

* * *

 _ **In this chapter, these are the original characters of the authors:**_

 **Code of Codex: Akuma and Angel Kiyo**

 **LunarRin: Lunar Rin and Shimmer Xin (her cousin submitted this character)**

 **Katschi: Hakuryuu Mizuki and Akki**

 **Some Wandering Anon: James Graham and Valerie Windell**

 _ **I hope I did not upset anyone by using their character for another story.**_

 _ **Look forward to the next chapter soon!**_

* * *

 _ **At any rate, if you want to submit an OC to be featured in this random collection of stories, use this form here (some parts have been updated, like Hair, Eyes and Weight):**_

 _ **GENERAL**_

 _ **Full Name: (General identity.)**_

 _ **Nicknames: (Any kind their friends/enemies/co-workers call them.)**_

 _ **Gender: (Male/Female/Ambiguous)**_

 _ **Age: (Self-explanatory.)**_

 _ **Birthday: (Also self-explanatory.)**_

 ** _Occupation: (Not all characters have to be Summoners of course, but just in case what you submit is not one.)_**

 _ **Nationality: (While this refers to Earth, so answer this question anyway so that I could describe them better.)**_

 _ **Family and Friends: (Blood relatives or other people the character knows, like parents, cousins, schoolmates and acquaintances.)**_

 _ **APPEARANCE (CLOTHING)**_

 _ **Casual: (What your character wears the most. Please include accessories, and be particular about your articles of clothing, not like saying 'black clothing' or 'red dress'. For example, if it is a dress, then mention if it is sleeveless and plain, or sparkling and frilly.)**_

 _ **Formal: (For occasions, like proms and meetings.)**_

 _ **Cold Weather: (The kind that keeps you warm, especially during Christmas.)**_

 _ **Hot Weather: (The ones that help keep cool, especially in deserts.)**_

 _ **Swimwear: (For beaches and swimming.)**_

 _ **Sleepwear: (For bedtime.)**_

 _ **APPEARANCE (LOOKS)**_

 _ **General: (Be detailed with what they look like. Be particular about some parts of how they look like, like skin color, face shape, dyes and such.)**_

 _ **Hair Color, Style and Length: (Color and style of what their hair would look like (if they have any) and a general length like 'shoulder-length' or 'ankle-length'.)**_

 _ **Eyes: (Their color and rough size.)**_

 _ **Height: (In inches and centimetres.)**_

 _ **Weight: (In kilograms.)**_

 _ **Build: (Like broad, muscled, lanky, thin, plump, petite and such.)**_

 _ **PERSONALITY**_

 _ **General: (Describe your OC's personality with detail. -dere system accepted, but be sure to be accurate.)**_

 _ **Traits: (List, but describe what you mean for every perk and quirk.)**_

 _ **Likes: (Anything...)**_

 _ **Dislikes: (...and Everything.)**_

 _ **HISTORY**_

 _ **Biography: (Be imaginative and not vague please. Give the entire history of your character, from the time they were born, to the present. Although, you can do your best to summarize it, even if you do not want me making up backstory for the characters.)**_

 _ **GEAR**_

 _ **Weapons: (Provide in-depth detail of your characters signature choice of physical battle objects, whether they support, whether they are offensive, if they are swords with a red blade or mechs capable of destroying buildings or toolboxes.)**_

 _ **Battle Gear: (If you forgo this, your OC will use casual clothing instead of battle armor and clothing. If not, then provide a detailed description like you would with appearances.)**_

 _ **COMBAT**_

 _ **Combat Style: (Ranging from fast movement to ninjutsu to none except brains. Make sure to provide accurate descriptions.)**_

 _ **Class Archetype: (Choose: Scout, Shocktrooper, Sentinel, Sniper or Support?)**_

 _ **Strengths: (Defining kinds that your character is good at in fights.)**_

 _ **Weaknesses: (Their fatal flaws and such.)**_

 _ **Abilities: (Magic, skills, paranormal, special abilities you would notice in games and TV.)**_

 _ **UNITS**_

 ** _List: (Five Units only. But you can put in more if you explain why.)_**

 _ **EXTRA**_

 _ **(If there are any things that cannot be included in the above categories, put them here.)**_

 _ **Notable Features: (Sharp teeth, rosy lips and the like.)**_

 _ **Quotes: (Put multiple ones if you can, to describe how they speak and how they act.)**_

 _ **Living Conditions: (Choose: Poor, Middle, Rich?)**_

 _ **Plots you would like to see for your character: (That is, something exciting you want for your character, any ideas you want to share.)**_

* * *

The following below is an example, which happens to be one of my OCs.

 _ **GENERAL**_

 _ **Full Name:**_ Fray

 _ **Nicknames:**_ Kid, Scout, Cat, Kuroneko (rarely)

 _ **Gender:**_ Male

 _ **Age:**_ 15 and a half

 _ **Birthday:**_ 30 June

 ** _Occupation:_** Free Summoner, Scout, Ex-militia

 _ **Nationality:**_ Indonesian

 _ **Family and Friends:**_ A huge family of cousins in a far-off town, childhood friends named Arris and Trill (missing), and (currently) a receptionist friend he knew from childhood named Lin. Lives with a little girl named Korell and her older brother Bromwell, both of whom are unrelated to him.

 _ **APPEARANCE (CLOTHING)**_

 _ **(The following clothes are listed as separate articles.)**_

 _ **Casual:**_

(Hooded Jacket)  
A self-repairing, waterproof, forest green, hooded silk jacket with long sleeves reaching past Fray wrists, and ends down at his thighs. There are brown leather pads sewn into the elbows. It has a black zipper, but it is unzipped most of the time. The hood has black pointy cat ears sewn onto it. This jacket is actually a few sizes bigger than him.  
On the inside, there is a strap where Fray could tie a sheathed dagger or a small cylinder to and hide it. He could simply reach inside of his jacket and pull it out.  
(Blue Shirt)  
An orange short-sleeved T-shirt with grey rims.  
(Black Trousers)  
Baggy faded black trousers. There are two deep pockets on the hips.  
(Brown Belt)  
An ordinary belt with a steel buckle.  
(Leather Shoes)  
Brown leather padded shoes meant for long durability and sneaking.  
(Satchel)  
Very tough green dragonskin bag that can be strapped tight to Fray's back. Straps loop around his left shoulder and right hip, tightened with a silver buckle. Obviously has multiple pockets to accommodate many sizes of objects.

 ** _Formal:_**

(Green Suit)  
A forest green business suit.  
(Tie)  
A long black tie.  
(Shirt)  
A white-collared dress shirt.  
(Green Hair Ties)  
His side-bangs are tied with green bands, moved away from his face. Other than that, he still maintains the same hairstyle.

 _ **Cold Weather:**_

The following goes along with the Casual outfit.  
(Zipped Jacket) He uses the same jacket, but it is zipped up this time.  
(Red Wool Scarf) This crimson scarf is wrapped around Fray's neck, and covers his mouth.  
(Red Wool Gloves) But customized as knuckledusters, since there is steel covering the knuckles.  
(Grey Boots) The warm grey boots replace the shoes, but are also padded. The top rims of the boots are lined with brown fur.

 _ **Hot Weather:**_

He still wears the Casual outfit, but...  
(Hooded Jacket)  
Only the jacket is taken off and tied around his waist, acting as a skirt.  
(Black Cotton Shorts)  
If he has time to use his wardrobe, he would wear black, kneecap-length drawstring shorts. Otherwise he will use his trousers.

 _ **Swimwear:**_

(Swimming Top) A skin-tight, short-sleeved, T-shaped swimming top.  
(Swimming Shorts) Swimming shorts reaching his shins. Both are mainly ashen grey in color and have a little red on the sides.  
(Hooded Jacket) He still wears his jacket over his swimwear when he does not swim. As a reminder, the jacket is waterproof, but it has significant weight.

 _ **Sleepwear:**_

Cotton, long, dark blue pajamas, one size too big for him.

Out of all the clothing Fray has, only the jacket repairs itself over time.

 _ **APPEARANCE (LOOKS)**_

 _ **General:**_ Looks young to most people. His slightly pale skin is somewhat soft and rather unscarred. Most of the injuries he had in the past were mainly scratches and bruises (he is not a tank after all) and he had a healing factor to help.

 ** _Hair Color, Style and Length:_** A short mop of jet black hair, until it covers his nape and covers some of his ears. There is a straight long bang on either side of his face that frame it, reaching a little past his chin.

 _ **Eyes:**_ Green irises and amber pupils. Alert, brimming with life but a little 'still'. The kind of eyes that scans most things.

 _ **Height:**_ 5'2" (152.4cm)

 ** _Build:_** Slender and lanky. No noticeable muscles.

 _ **PERSONALITY**_

 ** _General:_**

Fray is a stoic, observant and slightly rude person, but he still shows several half-hearted expressions, and most people who know him very well could tell what he feels from the tone of his voice when he talks. Otherwise, he is calm and quiet.

Normally he tries to get along with everyone, but when he finds someone to be likeable, interesting or annoying, he takes note of them. Casually, he goes along with the flow of things (be it in a talk or a situation), although he can be rather apathetic.

He sees the world in a 'can't-have-the-good-without-the-bad' view, which applies to his reasoning of doing kind or harsh but necessary things. Even so, he treats everyone with a measure of care (even the bad guys).

The only times he does not act this way is when he teases someone just to see their reactions, which is 20% of the time. Sometimes he even smiles or smirks, but this is not treated as a 'true' happy emotion. 80% of the time, he acts as he usually is, and is very serious and blunt.

It is a surprise for most people to find him clumsy and a little forgetful though, which are a few funny aspects to him. Overall, he is a kuudere ditz that tolerates most people.

 _ **Traits:**_ Kuudere, Tease, Blunt, Straight-faced, Provocative, Slight airhead, Clumsy, Curious, Understanding, Observant

 _ **Likes:**_ Sweets, bread, baking, reading, drawing, curiosities, exploration, reactions

 _ **Dislikes:**_ Bad joking, needles, suspicious liquids, onions, injustice

 _ **HISTORY**_

 _ **Biography:**_  
As a single child of a male explorer and a female hunter in a forest village a few days' ride from Randall, he lived in a somewhat passive-aggressive life where the village was frequently assaulted by various passing brigands, raiders, thieves and even monsters and demons. Fray's parents and family of relatives moved into this village from Randall, where his oldest relatives and some villagers, cousins mostly, formed the Ranging Militia, a special army of sorts that defended the village and hunted down any threat. At that time, Fray was six months old in his mother's womb.

When he turned four, his parents both died getting caught in the crossfire of a battle between a pack of raiders and a neighboring village. Some close to him speculate this is when he became well and truly cold, but most already know him to be quiet ever since he was born.

Although some say he looked very saddened, he did not lie down and cry. He still continued to attend the village's school, interact with his family and friends and moved on, but he lived knowing that there is always a threat outside his home, things that he should eliminate one day.

 _(Erased history)_

Fast-forward to months before recent events, Fray had received a request from Lin to work at Akras' Summoners' Hall as a scout for missions, due to his four-year-old ability to wield the Summoning Arts. Deciding this to be a good change from his life in the forests, he set out and moved to this new job.

Currently he lives in a house in the Village of the Venturer, sometimes hanging out with Lin or another person. While he is not doing his 'part-time job', he bakes confections (he does not consider himself a master) and sometimes helps out at the local bakeries in exchange for cookies. He also visits several places to meet with some people he befriended and to pick up on the latest news and gossip, like a tavern, a school and an orphanage.

Nowadays, as a Summoner who goes fast alone, and takes scouting missions, he rarely gets into a team. He certainly has not joined a Division though, despite the offers. But since he had experience being in one, it was not troubling for him to get into any when necessary.

 _ **GEAR**_

 _ **Weapons:**_

 **Kurō-no-tatsu (literally 'dark dragon' in Japanese - called 'Kunota' for short):**  
An obsidian black sabre with a average-length, straight, one-sided blade and a slightly thin base. Faint magma red cracks run through it. The crossguard is short and forms a slight V-shape with blunted ends and the pommel has a small steel counterweight, with a ruby gem in the middle. An elegant golden rune is engraved onto it. The hilt is wrapped in white leather, marked all over with graceful black runes that glow faintly when used. It is noticeably almost as flat as the blade, but allows one- or two-handed use.

The sword itself is completely made of lightweight materials from a Jirayen, Balmedia and other Fire-type demons, and otherworldly metals from Grand Gaia.  
However, the longer-than-average hilt suggests it is not British or such. It is given a fitting Japanese name (by Trill, and a few others) even though it is not a katana.

Magical in nature, the sabre requires power from its wielder. As a result, it only has high attack power when powered with magic from Fray. The more he uses it however, the less mana he needs to put into the sword, and naturally the more easier and powerful it gets to use, to a point where it may not even need mana.  
The sabre also acts as a medium for Fray's magic, where most Fire attacks come from it (like becoming hot enough to cut through metal like butter).

The sabre is always sheathed in a black leather sheath with a wooden chape, slung over his back, behind the satchel.

 **Carnwennan (which means 'white hilt' in the Welsh Arthurian legends - 'Carn' for short):**  
An orichalcum dagger which serves well as Fray's secondary stealth weapon, if he did not want to use up magic pulling out Kurō-no-tatsu.

Double-edged, straight, and pointed silver-white blade with coppery green streaks, with a one-handed hilt wrapped in leather. The base is less wider than Kunota's, but despite the difference in power and lack of magic, it compensates for its quick draw and speed.

Sometimes he dual-wields the sword and dagger to great effect. Ice magic is used to further compliment its power, since it has no specific element attached to it. Due to its high durability, it is possible for it to be permanently enchanted from Fray's magic over time.

The dagger is sheathed in a leather sheath held and strapped to the inside of Fray's usual jacket. It can also be removed and hung to somewhere on his belt.

 **Crossbow:**  
Other than these things, he has a small, dark green, metal crossbow from which he can quickly fire a single bolt at a time. It has a fast reload speed as well. When not in use, this is clipped to the belt.

 _ **Battle Gear:**_ Casual outfit, but with armor: A mithril vest inside his zipped up jacket. Also has mithril greaves replacing his boots.

 _ **COMBAT**_

 _ **Combat Style:**_

Careful and quick. Uses a mixture of Spanish fencing (due to the straight, lightweight blade) and Japanese kenjutsu (for defensive postures) for Kunota.  
If you imagine a statistics triangle between Attack, Defense and Speed, Fray would lean between Attack and Speed.  
This applies to his dagger as well, except it has less reach, but a little more speed.  
(When dual-wielding)  
Fray can block even more attacks and create flurries of combos, but this form is used only when fighting groups of enemies. It relies on reflexes and speed to use it for maximum effect.

His crossbow is silent but has a short range, and cannot be used as a sniping weapon... yet. It is one-handed and can be fired on a quick draw.

 _ **Class Archetype:**_ Scout

 _ **Strengths:**_

— As a trained fighter, he can wield many weapons, but prefers blades.  
— He is good at stealth.  
— He is a good shot with the crossbow.  
— Strong legs help with his fast speed.  
— Proficient in hand-to-hand combat, expert in choke holds since he knocks enemies unconscious on stealth missions.  
— Uses Fire magic (offensive, mainly in the form of an improvised thruster, weapon augment, firebolts and explosive rune circles).  
— Uses Ice magic (defensive, mainly in the form of icy bubble barriers, platforms and assassination knives).  
— His weapons have elemental effects—Fire for Kurō-no-tatsu and Ice spells for Carnwennan, to compliment his attacks to become more widespread.  
— Having been taught by Limera, his Fire magic prevents him from retaining critical injuries, that even his scars can heal given time. This is slow though (it takes hours to heal an injury, but it will take excessive damage to kill Fray).

 _ **Weaknesses:**_

— He cannot take too many hits, since he is more focused on speed.  
— The crossbow can be easily noticed, and it would not matter if Fray shot quick at a skilled target, who would be expecting it.  
— His magic pool can be used up instantly if he uses Ice magic too much. Fire is more easier, but even then his magical capacity is limited compared to other magicians.  
— Kurō-no-tatsu drains mana over time, so Fray has around an hour before the sword powers down and leaves Fray without much magic to use. He could simply absorb magic in nature as a substitute power source. Fray is still improving his magical capacity for this.  
— His healing factor is slow, and is not fit for battle.  
— He can be overpowered by an elite and aggressive attacker.  
— Occasionally, his clumsiness affects him in battle. Just not in assassinations (probably).

 _ **Abilities:**_

\- Fire blasts and magical runes.

\- Ice creations.

\- Magical senses.

\- Keen eye.

\- Baking, and average cooking.

\- Stealth and thievery.

\- Understanding of most technologies and histories, including that of Units.

 _ **UNITS**_

 ** _List:_**

Leader: Limera (sometimes switches with Piany)

Teammates: Adel, Piany, Vernil and Galtier (he can only summon Galtier alone due to his still-growing magic, and mostly meant for search and destroy missions)

 _ **EXTRA**_

 _ **Notable Features:**_

\- He has notably sharp incisors like a cat's.

\- He sometimes teaches his friends and his Units how to bake. Not all of them were successes.

\- He can cook averagely.

\- He only ever 'truly' smiles when he is happy and content. The 'half' smiles he gives mostly come from teasing.

\- He only frowns when upset, stares when disgusted or confused, and blushes when embarassed, but otherwise maintains a neutral expression no matter what.

\- He does not have good upper body strength.

 _ **Quotes:**_

When introducing himself: "Well met. My name is Fray. Just one name, nothing else."

When contemplative: "Does it need to be sweet? Must it be more bitter? As long as it tastes really nice, I'm sure both tastes need not matter much."

When clumsy: "Ah! My bad!"

When teasing: "That was oddly adorable. Why don't you ever make that expression?"

When serious: "Quiet."

When disgusted: "Lech/Vulgar."

When confused: "...I have never seen that before."

When fighting: "What do you stand for?"

 _ **Living Conditions:**_ Middle

 _ **Plots you would like to see for your character:**_ Meeting with some people and friends at a bakery or an orphanage, or reuniting with Trill.

 _ **Yes, this is long, but I am sure all of you have your own ways of filling out the form.**_


	2. Anniversary (Part II - Finale)

_Akras Summoners' Hall_

 _7 o'clock, nighttime_

The grand, towering building of the Akras Summoners' Hall was filled to the brim with Summoners and their families who came to celebrate. It has been... well... 1XX years since its founding. Although the Hall does not celebrate like this every year (they only celebrate every New Year, Christmas, Halloween and those other famous days), they have pushed back the Fallen Gods, took out Lucius, cleared out Ishgria and prevented a demon invasion, stopped Karna Masta and formed the Guilds in the recently-discovered world of Orebus.

Now Summoners are moving on to discover other worlds. All that had happened before occured in the span of three years. Everyone knew all that was good cause for celebration.

The mood was light. Musicians lightened the air. Everyone who had gathered simply felt great.

Not literally everyone however.

A young, blue-eyed man in a room, far away from the excitement, muttered curses under his breath, sorting out food budgets written on paper and making sure that there were no help requests sent by nearby kingdoms and settlements. No one wanted to work on a good day like this after all, and the Summoners' own guard shifts were being taken by other guards and defensive systems, magical or technological. This man wore a white sleeveless shirt, black pants and leather boots as he worked, short white hair swaying slightly to one side as an air conditioner worked.

"Elder Grah..." he muttered as he scribbled numbers on paper. "You couldn't have just passed this on to some well-qualified receptionist...?"

"You know that's not an option Ace. Imagine the massive fines we would have to deal with."

And there was his sister: a bespectacled, red-eyed woman with blonde hair streaked with black, and braided, and as old as him. She wore a white sleeveless shirt that seemed sooty somewhat from recent contact with ashes. In place of her casual blue shorts was a black skirt. Other than that, she had leather boots. She was also dealing with the same problem on the other side of the room.

"Come on Ev, I thought we got loads of gold?"

The woman shook her head. "We spent all that repairing our house and the other places we accidentally destroyed. That blast was huge, you know?"

The two were powerful, but their Aeonian powers can be rather more widespread than accurate, so they usually end up being held accountable for any collateral damage.

"Ugh... So we're broke?"

"Unfortunately, yes. The Elder stopped the town guards from arresting us and giving a heavier fine. But as you know, if we don't work here, then it'll be debts and dungeon diving."

"Right." Ace sorted out a few sheets of paper. "Where's Dad by the way?"

"I think he's out there celebrating with a few Summoner friends of his, last I called him."

"What? Oh, yeah, we were trying to be independent. Not exactly a life going our way. But that's so unfair..."

"Stop complaining. We're almost done. Then we can go see Dad and his friends."

 _That, and you really need to get back to your research._ Ace let out a long sigh and moved his arm.

He accidentally sent a stack of paper toppling over once he tried.

"Ace..." Evelyn groaned.

 _Weeelllll heck._

"Don't worry. It's just a little disaster I can fix up...?"

It turned out the spilled papers were mixed with the smaller stacks on the floor. And every sheet of paper was thin. How long would it take to find every last one?

* * *

 _Main Hall_

The rich, well-decorated hall was decorated with glowing balls of light around the ceilings and pillars. Long tables by the walls covered with white drapes were laden with assorted foods and pitchers of various drinks.

Summoners, Units and ordinary humans, and maybe a few other races, from other worlds and places all over Elgaia mingled with each other. They had already finished listening to the speech given by the Elders and were raring to watch the arranged activities for this night. All of them were supposedly going to be spectacular.

"Queela?"

The Demon Slayer turned her head at the girl's voice. For this evening, she wore a dark blue sleeveless dress with a short slit at the back. Her silver necklace had a diamond resting on her chest, shining brighter than her golden earrings.

"Miss Merylham? Is something the matter?" the woman asked. So far her fellow Demon Slayers were enjoying the night, waiting for the main events to start.

The shorter female operator, looking stylish in a green sleeveless dress, said, "No no, just checking to see if you got more social problems, that's all! And you're supposed to call me Lin!"

Queela felt a little touched, then puffed out her chest. "I'm a Demon Slayer Ms. Merylham. They don't have emotional issues."

"It's Lin, not Miss!" repeated Lin. "And you kept on staying silent every time me and Fray- uh no, I mean Fray and I talked. You never bothered having a say about ice cream!"

"Ah, but I don't really have much time for ice cream." Not that she hated it. She preferred devoting all her time into anything job-related.

"Because you're a Demon Slayer~" Lin quoted playfully. "C'mon! There's ice cream over there. You got to at least try sea salt flavor! I mean, you like seafood right?"

Queela felt a little optimistic about that kind of ice cream. She nodded. "Sure."

Lin then grabbed hold of her hand and led her to the desserts table, where someone familiar was serving people with sweet teeth.

"Eh? Fray? What're you doing here?" Lin asked the obvious.

Behind the table was her friend named Fray. He was wearing a green apron over a green suit and black tie. His mop of black hair was covered by a white headwrap, though green bands tied up the side bangs framing his face.

"Lin, Queela," he greeted, "I'm the pastry vendor for this hour. Lunar is over there managing cold treats with Shimmer."

"Did you make all this Fray?" Lin asked, scanning the array of cakes on the table.

"Not really. I did make some, but the majority was from the bakery I work at. Elder Grahdens simply came up to me a few days ago and requested for stacks of pastries like these."

He held up a platter of star-shaped cookies glazed with sugar. "A treat for any of you two?"

"Sorry Fray-"

He cut off Lin there, "But you want sea salt ice cream. Specifically for Queela."

The woman felt a twinge of annoyance for being a little intimidated by a sixteen-year-old smaller than her. But his amber eyes seemed to glow in a piercing way, even though he once made it clear he was mortal. Human. Someone who just happened to naturally look like a cat.

Lin just gave him a look of awe. "How do you always know what I'd say?"

"Lin, it is impossible to gauge the predictability of your mind."

"What?"

"I mean you are very predictable."

"Hey!"

"And even more nosy than I am. I am amazed myself at how Miss Elise and Miss Starride can keep their calm around you." He made a show of shaking his head in disapproval, all while looking blank and neutral.

"Fray!"

Queela could not help but giggle.

* * *

 _Up the steps to the Hall's Lobby_

"Latelatelatelatelate- oof!" Raine exclaimed. A teenage male Frontier Hunter had been running up the steps to the Main Hall when he was blindsided by something warm. He wore a vermillion red suit and an apple green dress shirt, complete with a black bowtie to match his unkempt, short hair.

The formal suit was something close to foreign for him, but Sera insisted on him renting one for this single occasion.

Something fast seemed to prevent him from getting there though as he went down with another.

"Ack! Hey, watch where you're going!" he shouted on instinct, feeling sore on his left. He tried to look at the figure on top of him.

"Ugh, why didn't you get out of my way?" the figure muttered angrily. Raine felt the weight lifted off of him, allowing both of them to help themselves up.

The jerky boy wore a steel blue tunic a size too large for him, with black trousers and grey shoes. He had long black hair tied in a low ponytail, but other than that, it did not seem like this guy was going to a party.

"Well how was I supposed to look both ways? Why were you even running anyway?" Raine shot back.

The boy paled. "I-I need to go!"

Raine watched him run off. The rude person disappeared around a corner.

"Excuse me."

The man turned around to meet a complete double of the guy he just met, except the clothes were of different color: red sweater, grey trousers and black shoes. He seemed more polite though.

"Uh was that your twin? He just went around that corner," Raine told him.

The double looked like he was going to say something, but thought better of it, closing his mouth and simply nodded in thanks before following his twin.

"Raine! I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it here!" shouted a girl.

The woman in question was a woman his age with short, unkempt auburn hair, dressed in a grey button-up overcoat that covered her entire body. Beside her is a taller, stoic-looking man, in a black longcoat unbuttoned to show off his white shirt. It looked wet though, revealing his buff chest.

"Hey Yuki! And Ward?" Raine greeted them both. "What happened to you?"

"Clumsy mistake," he grunted.

"Oh." Raine considered that for a moment. It was always something elusive with Ward, no matter how trivial it seemed.

"Come now you two," Yuki caught their attention. "The main events should be starting now."

"Crud, those events! I think there were gonna be Summoners that's gonna fight! In a special dome! We should go, now."

And so they did.

* * *

Up above a building, a wanderer not like any mortal watched people come and go from his high perch on a tree. His silver hair was tied in a ponytail, letting his clouded, blue eyes survey the brightly lit building.

His robes protected him from cold winds while his boots felt snug against the branch. He felt content with his temporary resting place.

 _So many people, all flocking towards a grand candle._ But he turned down the invitation. He did not need any more attention than he already had.

 _And so many promising people capable of so much change in this world._ He had taken note of the many party-goers. Many of them had that strange potential.

What will the future hold for them?

* * *

 _ **The new OCs introduced/mentioned came from the following authors:**_

 **Garth Kaiser: Viktor Fulgur Rex, Ace Helios Rex and Evelyn Luna Rex**

 **EdarRyu: Aric Ventus**

 **TrueDragon117: Ryusei Auren and Ryusei Auriel**

 **The Blue Tigrex: Queela Volancifer**

 **LexiTactics: Yuki, Raine and Ward Roque**

 _ **And this marks the end of the first short. I decided I can afford to leave the 'main events' to your imagination (nothing wild though).**_

 _ **More importantly, the next short up is a RWBY crossover, so I decided to set up a poll in my profile regarding which season of RWBY should the characters arrive in. Please do so quick once you read this.**_

 _ **Remember, if there are any OCs, submit them using the form in the first chapter. And maybe expect more OCs once I ask more authors.**_

 _ **And I believe this should be all. Look forward to the next chapter. Make sure to favorite and follow this story!**_


	3. Character Profiles

_**The following contains basic information of the characters in the story. Please note that some information has yet to be filled out.**_

 _ **Note: The occupation 'Beyonder' is a term from another world for people not of a certain world. In this case, Beyonders like James and Aric are foreigners to Elgaia. (It comes from the Beyonders book series.)**_

 _ **Note 2: The element, then the term 'Adept', refers to the common element the person normally uses (not restricted to the six elements). Some may have more than one element.**_

 _ **Note 3:**_ ** _Class Glossary Shocktrooper: _Offensive and 'storm-enemy-lines' unit** ** _Sentinel:_ Defensive and distraction unit.** ** _Scout:_ Speed and reconnaissance unit.** ** _Sniper:_ Long-/medium-distance and high damage unit.** ** _Support:_ Supply/medical and buffer unit.**

* * *

 **Code of Codex**

Akuma Kiyo  
Age: 19  
Occupation: Akras Summoner, Hothead, Dark Adept  
Class: Shocktrooper  
Units:  
A tsundere that cares for his sister all the time, to a point where he says a certain catchphrase whenever he senses Angel is in danger or in a potential romcom situation. Has a bipolar personality teetering between anger and passion. Allergic to sweets. Likes romance manga and anime and magazines aimed at women.

Angel Kiyo  
Age: 19  
Occupation: Akras Summoner, Light Adept  
Class: Support  
Units: Quaid, Colt, Aaron, Raaga, Kanon  
An angel in the form of a human, figuratively speaking. Certainly more mature at times than her twin brother. The kind to be sweet to everyone no matter what. Likes making flower crowns. Dislikes blood and gore. Has a habit of panicking and speaking in Greek and Japanese.

 **Some Wandering Anon**

James Graham  
Age: 21  
Occupation: Akras Summoner, Mercenary, Beyonder  
Class: Sentinel  
Units: Sirius, Tora, Febros, Mariela, Felice  
A mercenary from another world, with a reputation for having taken an uncertain amount of lives. Very prepared for most situations. Can be such a househusband. Has a sweet tooth.

Valerie Windell  
Age: 19  
Occupation: Akras Summoner, Mercenary, Beyonder, Light Adept  
Class: Support  
Units: Hisui, Ramna, Krantz, Tazer, Lara  
Another mercenary under James's guidance. More or less the water to her partner's overactive fires. If stuck between meeting either James or Valerie, choose Valerie, who is less likely to turn you away.

 **LexiTactics**

Yuki Perl  
Age: 19  
Occupation: Free Summoner, Beyonder, Tactician, Book Mage  
Class: Sniper  
Units: Weiss, Griel, Zelnite, Edea, Zelnite  
A five-foot-tall tactician from another world, having worked as part of a mercenary outfit in that world. The kind to be worked up over broken plans.

Ward Roque  
Age: 20  
Occupation: Free Summoner, Beyonder, Blacksmith  
Class: Sentinel  
Units: Lance, Lasswell, Darvanshel, Claire, Orna  
A blacksmith from the same world as Yuki. Became a self-proclaimed bodyguard for Yuki, but counting on Raine to take his place if needed. Somehow fought Lucius at one point, leading to his ability to Summon. Will take metalworking and sculpture commissions.

Raine Wells  
Age: 19  
Occupation: Akras Summoner, Frontier Hunter, Peasant of Sama, Swordsman  
Class: Shocktrooper  
Units: Sefia, Kira, Lance, Mifune, Lancia  
A peasant from Sama that works as a rookie Frontier Hunter. Not exactly impulsive, but probably enough to make him leap through a well-crafted trap while rescuing anyone in immediate danger. Met Yuki and Ward by chance and became a friend ever since.

Kinsey Lars  
Age: 19  
Occupation: Akras Summoner, Demon Slayer (Raid Class 5), Scout  
Class: Scout  
Units: Fizz, Stein, Nyami, Tazer

 **Garth Kaiser**

Ace Helios Rex  
Age: 19  
Occupation: Akras Summoner, Brawler, Researcher  
Class: Shocktrooper  
Units: Ninmah, Rosetta, Vargas  
Son (not really) of Viktor and Evelyne's twin brother. Possibly the biggest optimist you could ever meet. Flirts day and night without much success. Units observed him switching out Evelyne's coffee with milk. Admires Grahdens.

Evelyne Luna Rex  
Age: 19  
Occupation: Akras Summoner, Researcher, Dark Adept  
Class: Sniper  
Units: Dolk, Lafiel, Soleil, Yggdrasil, Enki  
A eerily-red-eyed daughter (or so Viktor claims, about the daughter, not the eyes) of that Summoner and Ace's twin sister. Never stops searching for an answer to life's biggest questions. Rumored to be writing a novel (and plotting world domination).

Viktor Fulgur Rex  
Age: 43  
Occupation: Akras Summoner, Brawler, Flirt, Thunder Adept  
Class: Shocktrooper  
Units: Amy, Reeze, Freyjia, Melina  
'Beat-em-up-first' Summoner. Fought Karna Masta at one point and took in twins Ace and Valerie. Possibly has plans for self-justified world domination. Oddly as wise as he is old. Noted to be one of the few Summoners visiting the Mirror Realm.

Kevin Glacies Rex  
Age: 43  
Occupation: Free Summoner, Shopkeeper, Treasure Hunter  
Class: Shocktrooper  
Units: Douglas, Malbelle, Bestie  
Viktor's brother.

* * *

Magna Gaios Kaiser  
Age: 43  
Occupation: General, Villain, Beyonder  
Class: Sniper  
The Mirror version of Viktor, and a general sent by sagraV to investigate Elgaia. Typically the more evil, megalomaniac version. Sometimes ends up being the comedy relief trying to coerce Viktor over to his side.

Lumina Glacies Kaiser  
Age: 21  
Occupation: Beyonder  
Class:  
The Mirror version of Evelyne and Magna's daughter. Basically a more social (and louder) version of the researcher. Not yet judged to be good or bad.

Deus Magnus Kaiser  
Age: 21  
Occupation: Free Summoner, Beyonder, Slacker  
Class: Shocktrooper

The Mirror version of Ace and Magna's son.

Lumina Luna  
Age: Unknown  
Occupation: Free Summoner, Beyonder  
Class: Subject known to be versatile  
A Summoner from beyond the Mirror, with an interest in Viktor and fondness for his children. Last name unknown.

 **TheRunAwayPanda**

Sakura Akemi  
Age: 17  
Occupation: Akras Summoner, Trainee, Dark Adept  
Class: Shocktrooper  
Units: Aaron, Zekt, Cyan, Michele, and Rize  
A snow-haired prideful kuudere who was adopted by a normal family living on the outskirts of Randall. Although she prefers training over having fun, she composes music in her spare time. Never go near her with a picnic request or one of Beethoven's works.

 **Curiously A Theory**

Yume Airi  
Age: 16  
Occupation: Akras Summoner, Sweet Tooth, Gunner, Dark Adept  
Class: Scout  
Units: Mariela, Libera, Elza, Lyonesse, Rize  
A brunette gunner that sleeps, walks, eats sweets, shoots, then probably sleeps again. Very soft-spoken.

 **Munakanashii**

Aric Ventus  
Age: 19  
Occupation: Free Summoner, Beyonder, Bane of Humanity  
Class: Sentinel  
Units: Alesa, Johan, Astor, Ranza (Lancer), and Kanon  
A Nephilim that dislikes humanity in general and looking for a world where beings like him are accepted. Any angelic and demonic presences and artifacts are nothing short of tactical nukes to Aric.

 **TrueDragon117**

Auren Ryūsei  
Age: 19  
Occupation: Free Summoner, Martial Artist, Musician  
Class: Sentinel  
Units: Zekū (Leader), Glen, Licht, Janice, Eleanor  
A misanthropic Eastern-looking twin brother. Has a passion for music. Probably the mysterious figure at night singing a stupid theme song for an experiment.

Auriel Ryūsei  
Age: 19  
Occupation: Free Summoner, Martial Artist, Musician  
Class: Scout  
Units: Mifune, Rauda (Leader), Agress, Gyras, and Garrel  
A twin sister just as introverted as her brother Auren. The kind to be irresponsible and uncaring. Takes comfort in anything or anyone innocent. Probably the masked heroine next to the other figure singing at night.

 **Katschi**

Mizuki Hakuryuu  
Age: 16(?)  
Occupation: Akras Summoner, Ex-assassin, Dark Adept  
Class: Scout  
Units:  
A kuudere ex-assassin looking to start a new life in Randall, cursed with the inability to express feelings (facial or otherwise). Sometimes takes up other jobs, including defending her targets from Akki, her sister. Also finds herself fending the same person off at their forcibly shared apartment. Likes to hum and sing.

Akki Hakuryuu  
Age:  
Occupation: Assassin, Older Sister, Psychopath, Dark Adept  
Class: Scout  
An older yandere of a sister to Mizuki, who she is obsessed with. Attempted to take her sister back to their parents. Targets anyone with an eye for her beloved imouto.

 **The Fell Angel**

Hikari Akagi  
Age: Almost 16 (Immortal)  
Occupation: Free Summoner, Research Assistant  
Class: Shocktrooper  
Units:  
A timid girl that hides a heated, sealed power. Socially incompetent. Seemingly unable to get angry.

'Clockwork'  
Age: Immortal  
Occupation: Researcher, Time Spirit, Sweet Tooth  
Class: Support(?)  
Units:  
A time spirit watching over Hikari. Although she regularly does research regarding many subjects in her mansion, proving to be a genius in her own way, she is rather lazy most of the time, and not very dependable, especially when it comes to sweets.

 **The Blue Tigrex**

Queela Volancifer  
Age: 19  
Occupation: Akras Summoner, Demon Slayer  
Class: Sentinel  
Units: Melchio (partner), Zenia, Alice, Logan, Avani  
A Summoner who takes pride in her ability as a Demon Slayer and her own squadron. She used to be a noblewoman, hence her unusual riches. Likes fish.

 **LunarRin**

Lunar Rin  
Age: 18  
Occupation: Akras Summoner, Prankster, Shipper, Frostfire Adept  
Class: Scout  
Units:  
A young woman who never seems to stop smiling. By her Dion X Ruby doujinshi, she makes it a point to be a matchmaker. Has a signature red ribbon tied in her hair.

Shimmer Xin  
Age: 16  
Occupation: Akras Summoner, Tailor  
Class: Support  
Units:  
A deredere cousin to Lunar, who usually finds herself on the receiving end of Lunar's various activities. Loves dolls, plushies and soft things.

 **Cryptek12**

Fray  
Age: 15  
Occupation: Free Summoner, Freelancer, Part-time Baker, Frostfire Adept  
Class: Scout  
Units: Limera, Adel, Piany, Kagura, Galtier  
A cat-themed, yet somewhat clumsy kuudere who rarely like to tease and see reactions. Formerly (temporarily) a part of the 3rd Recon Squad of the Autree Militia. Dealt with the otherworldly and speaks Reference sometimes. Likes to bake bread, especially sweets.

Arris Helljeant  
Age: 17  
Occupation: Trapper, Trickster  
Class: Support

Bryony 'Forsyth' Gardenia  
Age: 19  
Occupation: Gardener, Alchemist, Boxer  
Class: Support

Barrette-Six  
Age: Appearance of a 10-year-old  
Occupation: Sniper, Squire  
Class: Sniper


	4. The World Under a Broken Moon (Part I)

**_Author's Note:_** ** _We are now in the first ever crossover short story (which consists of a few long chapters) for this collection: RWBY, in Season 3, some time before the first episode. Although I had previously set up a poll for which season should the Summoners land in, I realized how shortsighted it was for me to write about Season 4. There were only a few voters, and while it is an exciting idea, I will have to disappoint you all. It is an incomplete season, and there are too few episodes for me to go on, even if the Summoners are not staying around too long in Remnant._**

 ** _As for Season 3, while it is plain, I simply think it will do well, considering it is a complete season. I really like RWBY, and I would be loathe to create inaccurate facts for Season 4 if I went far into the Season than necessary._**

 ** _Without futher ado, read on._**

 ** _Here is a list of all the current 21 OCs and their respective authors showing up in this collection:_**

 **Some Wandering Anon: James and Valerie**

 **Katschi: Mizuki and Akki**

 **TrueDragon117: Auren and Auriel**

 **LunarRin: Lunar and Shimmer**

 **Garth Kaiser: Viktor, Ace and Evelyn**

 **LexiTactics: Yuki, Raine and Ward**

 **Code of Codex: Akuma and Angel**

 **The Blue Tigrex: Queela**

 **EdarRyu: Aric**

 **Cryptek12 (myself): Fray, Korell and Bromwell**

* * *

 _Summoners' Research Lab_

"Okay... This should go here. And if all goes well, I will open yet another portal to an entirely different world."

"Uh, is this even safe?"

"Of course it is Raine. Why can't you comprehend the brilliance of my mind and feel safe?"

"Well... Because you had a few people test your stuff out, and not all of them went great?"

"Bah! I'll hit the switch now."

"Whoa... It's shiny alright."

"Indeed. The Gem levels are stable, energy input is stable..."

"Eh? Why is it glowing like a rainbow? And it's shaking!"

"This isn't supposed to happen."

"I told you so Noel!"

"Shut up! Those stabilizers were supposed to function as the goddess's mediums. They're all but disabled now."

"You want me to go get and set them straight...? Oh, yeah, big, sucking portal."

"It is unsafe, and like all gateways to other dimensions, it is perfectly obvious that-"

"Hey Noel, I got it all fixed up!"

"What!? How did you get there so quick? And that portal is still drawing everything in that room in!"

"Hey it's fine! I thought this was gonna happen, so I got these high-gravity boots- Wah!"

"They were prototypes you dolt!"

* * *

 _The Survey Office_

"...And that's why you all are killing two birds with one stone," Lin finished explaining the sudden mission with a chipper note.

"Raine, you mindless, bumbling idiot...!" Yuki muttered.

"So this is a whole new world Lin?" Fray asked.

Lin nodded. "Noel managed to stabilize the dimensional portal with Tilith's help, so you four should go straight to that new world quickly!"

Summoners Fray (requested for his reconnaissance skills), Yuki, Valerie and James (because those three happen to be smart travelers between dimensions), were to undertake a survey and rescue mission to look around the new world _and_ rescue Frontier Hunter Raine. It was not the first time that Summoners had stumbled upon new worlds and get into 'First Contact' situations, so every Summoner knew better than to stick around in a world that did not know about other worlds. Letting another world acquire such knowledge may well throw it into chaos.

But should that happen anyway (like what happened with nearly every world they visited), they can just let the chips fall and act accordingly.

* * *

 _Summoners' Research Lab, Testing Chamber_

The four went to the Lab as needed, each Summoner having packed up various supplies ranging from blank, gold coins to survival supplies provided by the Hall. If there were any other personal valuables, they tucked it into their packs.

James, de facto leader and nineteen years old, had grey, short, spiky hair and wore a black eyepatch around his left eye, leaving his midnight blue eye to look around. A grey scarf was wrapped around his neck. He wore a black suit, matching tie, dress pants and overcoat and grey dress shirt. For armor, he had a chestplate, greaves and right armguard, all of which had a dull grey shine.

Valerie, a woman of James's age and his unofficial partner, had chestnut-brown hair reaching her waist, topped by a grey beret, and silver eyes. She wore a light blue blazer over a white dress shirt, a red tie around her neck, a white pleated skirt, and a grey overcoat over all of it. For footwear, she wore brown boots and black stockings.

Fray, the youngest of them all at fifteen, sported a mop of black spiky hair and amber pupils surrounded by green irises. He wore a long-sleeved green jacket a size larger than him, leather pads sewn at the elbows and two pieces of black fabric on the hood meant to look like cat ears. Currently they are flattened. Other than that, he wore a blue shirt covered by a sleeveless mithril vest, black trousers fastened by a brown belt, protected by mithril greaves. A black satchel sat on his left hip.

Yuki, a female mage of nineteen and around Fray's height of 5'2" unlike Valerie, looked through silver-rimmed spectacles with midnight-black eyes. She outfitted herself with an old-looking, grey, cotton shirt, grey pants and leather hiking boots, chest covered by a brown vest. With her satchel slung to the left, she was ready to cast a spell at a moment's notice.

Noel had given them metal devices just bigger than the average candy bar. Just activating one can allow them to create a homing beacon that Tilith will use to locate them, create a portal and transport them back home.

With all of them prepared, they stood in front of the white-rimmed portal.

Noel had assured them that he stabilized(?) the portal to ensure all of them can reach the same place Raine ended up in. But as a precaution, he had supplies prepared for each of them in case they got separated, as well as small, headphone-shaped Communicators that were specifically linked to each other through special enchantments. An extra had been entrusted to Yuki to give to Raine once they find him.

"Yuki," Valerie had asked the mage earlier, "you said you traveled in between dimensions, a lot. How did you do it?"

"Various rituals and spells obviously, and a... certain gate," Yuki replied, "but if you are suggesting that I could find Raine with such knowledge and immediately create a way to that other world, well, no. All I can say is that it takes much energy just to create a way between worlds. I even already tried scrying or any other location-based magic, but something prevents me from looking into that world. Such effort would require months of research, which we don't have right now."

"Do you think it's dangerous then?"

"I am very sure that there is always a risk just from attempting to enter a new world Valerie. Pray that we don't end up somewhere typically unfavorable."

* * *

James studied the portal. In the white, unstable, oval frame was a series of images that changed every second, sometimes scenes blending into each other, other moments separate and clear. One showed a forest of red leaves, like it was autumn, only more crimson. The next was a great, colossal thing shaped like a spinning top, bulky airships ferrying people from the ground to the airborne structure.

Then the mercenary looked at the lower rim of the portal and saw ground from way high up. The scene changed once again to a pack of black beasts roaming war-torn lands, small buildings on fire and the like anyone can expect of violent environments.

"This... isn't safe at all is it Noel?" James voiced the foursome's thoughts.

"Of course not, but I can guarantee that all of you will land in the same world."

James's expression grimaced in anticipation for what may come, but he shook his head. There was a Summoner who may well be stranded in a very dangerous place. That, and he would not leave a friend's friend behind.

"So are we all ready? Communicators online?" James wanted to make sure they were well prepared.

"All set James."

"Ready."

"We are in fit condition."

The mercenary nodded, feeling a little nervous, but certainly more intrigued by what world they would find. Their Communicators also acted as black boxes, so every moment of their excursion would be recorded in them, no matter where they are.

"Let's go," he said, stepping through the swirling portal.

The sensation felt a little turbulent at first, but passing through the portal was nothing short of letting your hairs stand on end.

He felt grass under his feet, crunching softly as he stomped. It seemed he was in a peaceful environment: a forest during early daytime, although this part of the forest he was in was flanked by steep rock slopes to either side. A small valley to be precise, with one end where the portal was backed against a cliff.

He walked over to a lone tree that stood in the middle of the path out of the valley. It still looked healthy, branches and leaves sprouting.

James heard another fizzing sound from the portal, causing him to turn his head and see if his comrades still made it in one piece.

"James!"

 _Valerie_ , he thought with relief, walking over to her.

"Valerie, nothing went wrong getting through the portal?" the mercenary asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing at all! It was just like walking though dense air I guess?"

James looked at the portal. It was convulsing slightly, sending sparks of energy every once in a while. Will the others make it?

Someone then made it through.

"Is everything alright James? And you Valerie?" Yuki asked.

"We're fine, but Fray-" James was cut off by a sudden _whir_ from behind Yuki.

The swirling energy around the portal seemed to slow and weaken before abruptly disappearing with a _vwip!_

The three looked at the spot where the portal used to be. "Do you guys... think that Fray made it?" Valerie broke the silence.

"We have to assume that. I know Fray is independent, so he can survive," James said. It was more fact than opinion anyway..

"James, I'm going to use a spell that locates good-willed lifeforms," said Yuki, taking out a tome.

"Good-willed?" Valerie asked.

"The safest haven that can protect us and to gather information would be one where there is good people. Or at least some semblance of good. You saw those black monsters right? That means this world has its own dangers, and our first priority would be to find a safe place," she answered with the tone of a tactician. "This spell will take some time to cast."

The mage was one of many mages in Elgaia, although she came from a different world like James and Valerie. She was more elusive than Fray, but it was obvious she had an array of spells that not even Valerie may be able to use. However, her she still had limitations like most magicians.

 _She needs a guard. And I'm already sensing malice from miles around us._ "Valerie, I'll watch the slopes and the path. Get up on that tree and watch for dangers."

Yuki had already chanted halfway through her spell once the two got into position, aware of what the both of them can do. Whatever danger came into Valerie's sight would be assaulted by light magic from Gospel, Valerie's staff. If anyone got past her, James would either decapitate with Retribution, a black greatsword that takes in negative energy, or gun them down with his revolver. If those dark beasts correspond with Dark elements, Valerie may be able to dish out the greatest amount of damage with Light.

A roar came from nearby, just ahead of the valley. James readied his greatsword and summons, wanting to save enough energy until the last moment. Maintaining his Units' forms took a significant amount of energy, even if it was small.

The first of them came, some of which James could see from a distance. They were basically pitch-black werewolves on two feet, like shadows given life, with bone plating over several vital areas, and red markings to distinguish them further from just some ordinary monster. Hate and destruction radiated from their reddish-yellow eyes.

The first wave of monsters were unfortunate enough to be bombarded by bright white blasts once they were within Valerie's range. As James suspected, the monsters had an affinity to Darkness. He then felt his greatsword react somewhat, and feel so much... negativity surging through it. All of that energy wafted off the dying bodies of the black monsters.

James was tempted to confront them and fight some of them, just to see how that would affect him and his sword, which he might be doing soon. Valerie did not have an infinite reservoir of energy to keep up a barrage, and she may have to save it.

A second wave appeared, larger, and filled with a greater variety of monsters. _Time to switch out._

"Valerie," he called out, "I'm going in!"

"You won't have to do it alone James! Elfire!" Yuki shouted. Following the statement was a firebolt that blew up several black boars, stopping the charge.

"I've located the nearest settlement. Let us take care of all these monsters, shall we?"

"I guess we're going all out?" Valerie jumped down from her perch.

James nodded. "Alright, we're going to carve a path out of here. Start summoning!"

The three chanted their Units' names aloud, letting fourteen magical circles appear around them.

These beasts may be predators, but they have yet to learn the powers of a Summoner.


	5. A Far-off Island (Part I)

**_Author's Note: The following chapter comes from a roleplay between me and CrescentDawn7, another author I have come to known._**

* * *

One fateful day, appearing right out of the blue was a letter to Fray, the writer of said letter coming from none other than a certain time spirit.

The contents of the letter was a simple request to him:

 ** _Come to my mansion at the top of Mt. Ebrom, I'll be needing your help for a project of mine._**

 _There never seems to be a dull kind of experiment with Clockwork,_ Fray thought. He was already used to being involved in experiments back at Autree anyway.

 _Hikari could end up being in danger though._ The girl acted so fragile that it was suspicious and worrying at the same time. Although, while Clockwork may not look like it, she takes steps to ensure her student remained safe.

At any rate, there were no requests to today, and the day was still young.

Fray took his black, white-rimmed satchel and headed for Mt. Ebrom.

As he headed for the mountain, his destination seemed to get bigger and bigger, making it seem as if it were moving towards him. One could see clearly that the top of the mountain went past the clouds, making it nigh impossible to see the tip.

A strange feeling seemed to emanate from the mountain as Fray reached the base of it, one that would usually worry the average person and have them turn back.

But Fray couldn't go back, as the place he had to be was right at the top of the mountain.

It was time to see what the time spirit needed him for.

A few minutes later, having went up the rough mountain path, Fray stood in front of high double doors. He used one of the ornate door knockers, letting the knocks loudly alert anyone inside the mansion.

For a while, snow blew around him as he knocked on the doors, a little section of the mansion sticking out to prevent Fray from being pelted by snow.

After a few seconds, the door slowly opened, a pair of dark grey eyes staring into his amber pupils for a moment from behind the crack in the door before looking away at another part of him besides his face or eyes.

"O-Oh... h-hi F-Fray," greeted the girl.

"Hikari," he greeted in return. "Your master wanted me for something once more."

She opened the door more widely so that there was room for him to see her completely, still dressed in her usual outfit. "Y-Yes... s-she did a-actually... i-if you would p-please c-come in..."

Both of them walked in, ignoring the dense air that seemed to be filled with intrigue and arcane forces. Such is the kind of mansion a powerful spirit lives in, creating experiments of several varieties to pass the time.

The two went upstairs where Fray could feel an intense amount of energy gathered. Hikari seemed to be acting more anxious than usual.

"Hikari," he asked, "over the past month, Clockwork wanted me to gather materials or create several wards around the mansion. Did all of my fulfilled requests amount to _this_ experiment today?"

The young student replied to him as they were talking, moving over to a certain door that was different from the rest, one that was white and lined with silver. "Y-Yes... t-they d-do... the m-materials you brought w-were used to make and power some of the machines used in t-today's experiment while the w-wards are being used to s-stop a-and protect e-everything o-outside from e-exposure to energy from the e-experiment..."

 _Resulting in the trapped energy we are currently feeling now. An ample amount of pressure, but not so troubling to those used to magic._

As soon as they reached this strange door, Hikari turned the handle and opened it for Fray, not moving inside just yet and letting him move inside first.

It was a simple waiting room inside. Another door similar to the one they just went through was at the wall farthest from them.

Standing in the middle of the room, facing away from them, was the owner of the mansion herself, Clockwork. It was easy to tell it was her, from the maid's outfit she wore to the familiar ticking sound coming from her.

"Clockwork," Fray said with respect. "You said you needed my help?"

"Huh?" the spirit turned right around, staring at Fray for a few moments before a wide smile appeared on her face. "Ah, Fray! You made it!"

She floated off the ground slightly and moved towards her student and Fray, stopping right in front of the boy. "Yes, I do. I'm guessing you read what I needed from you in the letter?"

Come to my mansion at the top of Mt. Ebrom, I'll be needing your help for a project of mine.

"Was what you said. But you were not very specific, unless you wanted me to be the test subject," said Fray.

"Well... kind of..." Clockwork told him, her smile faltering for a moment out of nervousness. "I'm going to need your help with lifting some of the cables and bringing them over to where they need to be connected, as well as maybe some of your magic to power one of the machines needed."

"And... well, yes... you will be the test subject for this if you're willing to participate in this..." she quickly added.

The spirit was acting so obviously suspicious that Fray wanted to call her out on it, but refrained from doing so. She was making it hard to be trustworthy at this point, but considering the number of similar experiments Fray went through...

"Sure." He was not feeling so suicidal; just interested. "I do hope you know what you are doing here."

Her smile returned at full strength at his words, making it hard to not smile at her. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing!" she replied back to him, floating away from him for a few seconds before stopping right at the other door in front of them. "Just come along then!

The three entered a spacious, circular room where several generators had thick, black cables coming out of their backs. Some of them were connected to a titanium platform at the base, the square top decorated with a magical circle. The entire room seemed to glow with a blue, unearthly light as energy glowed out of holes and chinks in the machines.

"Right this way Fray," she said.

Clockwork directed him to connect the heavy cables to the platform, allowing the machines to power and regulate whatever energy Clockwork was using this time. Fray did all that in a few minutes.

"So this experiment involves teleportation?" he asked the spirit.

"Right," she told him, watching as Fray finished up. "This experiment is designed to help me see if I'm on the right track to what could be a beneficial invention to all Summoners out there."

"In case of a situation where the goddess Tilith is incapable of providing the Gate for some time?" he thought aloud.

"Yup! That's basically the sole purpose of what I'm making this for." She moved over to what appeared to be a control panel, the table-like thing filled with buttons, switches, levers, etc..

"If she's ever unable to give us means to get from one place to another, then we can use my invention instead in place of her for that moment."

"That sounds considerate of you." Leave it to the researcher to plan ahead of time. She easily rivals Noel in terms of scientific progress, maybe even greater.

"Do I stand on this platform?" Fray asked, watching the platform power up slowly.

The spirit gave him a thumbs-up sign, smiling as she watched him move into the platform. "Right in the middle of it!"

Her student stood beside her, watching as Fray stood next to the platform. Her eyes were filled with worry, hoping things would be alright.

"By the way," Fray said, taking out a grey headset—a Communicator—out of his bag. "Do you happen to have some sort of monitor to wirelessly link this to?"

Clockwork simply pointed over to what he was looking for, a large monitor, close to where the control panel was and in everyone's sight.

After a few set-ups, the Communicator was linked to the monitor. Switching it on, the advanced camera in the headset was pointed at Hikari, who was shown on the monitor as well. If Fray were to push another switch on the headset, the speaker on the monitor will hear whatever is in Fray's vicinity, including his voice. Another switch allowed use of the headset's microphone, connected to another at the monitor that allows communication between the scout and Clockwork and Hikari.

"That will do. Another question though: have you already tested the teleporter?"

Clockwork was about to say something to answer his question, but paused before she could. "...Well... not... really? Let's just say you're going to be the first test subject in this experiment..."

As she spoke, Hikari moved over to the monitor, testing out a few things on it, including the microphone.

"..." Fray decided he may as well get on with it.

He stepped onto the platform, waiting for the two to start.

Clockwork continued to speak, realizing she hadn't really answered the question well. "W-What I meant was that I have tested it a few times... most of the time it has worked..."

Hikari continued to stay near the monitor, watching Fray from there.

"Most," he repeated.

"Er... almost all the experiments have been successful..." she told him, now flipping a few switches slowly. "Other times... the location wasn't the right one, usually being a long ways off from the intended destination..."

Another risky experiment then.

Fray waited for the machine to activate fully as the magical circle under him glowed aquamarine.

Clockwork slowly focused her attention at the controls in front of her, whirring being heard from below the circle as buttons were pressed, levers were pulled, and switches were... switched.

The light under him grew brighter and brighter, forcing Hikari to look away as she only hoped for Fray's safety...

The humming grew as the magical torrents around Fray did. The light grew brighter until the platform shook.

It is working now...

The light shook, distorting.

Almost there... Clockwork thought to herself, ignoring the fact the light was distorting around her as she took hold of a large red switch. Three... two... one...

And after that mental countdown to herself, the spirit moved the switch up, watching just in time as Fray suddenly fell through the ground.

A portal had opened up beneath Fray's feet, causing him to fall through it. He only saw flashes of a sea-green torrent once inside, since opening his eyes hurt from the rushing winds, like the inside of a vortex or a tornado.

The feeling was not so tumultuous, but he was definitely falling.

Ahead, he saw another circular hole, light coming out of it.

As he continued descending, the portal he fell through closed, preventing him from getting back. At the end of the other hole was a bright, white light, wind blowing against his face...

Fray instantly got a wide view of what was below him: a big island surrounded by water, with a village close to the center, surrounded by thick pine trees. A mountain rose far from the village. It was nighttime, so the entire scenery was bathed in moonlight and darkness. Right now he was approaching the beach at a fair height that would not kill him, but leave him very bruised if he did not do something about his fall.

Acting quickly, he stopped his fall early by materializing a small platform of ice beneath him. It held in the air for a moment before slowly succumbing to gravity.

Fray dropped down a few times, jumping from one platform to another before finally getting down to the beach safely.

When he landed on the beach, he was met with near silence. Almost nothing made a sound around him. The only things that did was the sound of water surging back into the ocean, and the gentle breeze of the night blowing the leaves of the trees in sight.

The moon was high in the sky at this point, stars decorating the near black sky... it was a beautiful sight to see...

Fray pushed a small button under the left speaker of his headset, activating wireless communication. "Clockwork? Hikari? Did you already set a destination with this place in mind?" he asked.

After a few seconds, a familiar voice entered his ears, the same shy and nervous voice from earlier. "F-Fray... w-we can't seem to hear you well... y-you keep on breaking off at some points... w-we a-also can't see where you a-are... the m-monitor is all b-blurry..."

I must be very far off, somewhere where the Communicator facilities cannot even reach. Yet they were able to reach to another dimension, he reasoned silently.

Or there was another force on this island, interfering with the signal. The scout could sense that much just from standing on the sand.

"Hikari, did you send me to the correct place?" he asked.

When she spoke again, her voice started breaking up, the connection being lost. "T-This...not...place...careful ...watch..."

Then her voice cut out completely, not a sound heard on the other side of the line.

Fray switched off the comms. Whatever was jamming the signal was somewhere on this island. And it must be dangerous, from what few last words he could hear from the girl.

The village he saw could provide help. From there, he can make a plan of action.

Again, silence filled his ears... not a sign of any life around him...

Past the beach was a vast field of grass, patches of flowers of varying kinds all around it. Past that was a dense forest, impossible to see what was behind all the trees. And past that was the village he needed to get to.

Fray scrutinized the grass in front of him. The grass was tall and thick enough to hide in, and perfect for predators waiting in ambush. The same goes for the forest, especially during nighttime. He may as well be on yellow alert.

If this island really was dangerous, then it is safe to assume that the harmless wildlife was hunted down.

The scout walked on softly, slightly hunched to make himself a lesser target. He was not expecting much; just... anything deadly really.

Nothing seemed to be coming for him as he moved, the wind gently rustling the grass surrounding him...

That's when he heard it, the sound of grass shifting around a distance from him. It seemed something was moving towards his location... and it was moving quickly...

Fray hid behind a fallen log that seemed to have recently rolled from the forest, like many other trunks here did, crushing small acres of grass and wildflowers. He waited, closed his eyes and focused on sound.

The shifting of grass stopped just as it was about to get too close for comfort, silence filling the area around Fray once more... it seemed whatever was chasing him had... stopped...?

He looked over the trunk for a second and darted back down. Nothing noteworthy. What about the spot directly behind the trunk?

Nothing to be found there...

Either whatever was chasing him had just vanished into thin air...

Or was somewhere nearby, waiting for him to drop his guard and reveal himself completely.

A second spent here in the night would bring him closer to potential death. Fray dashed behind a few more fallen logs, then some boulders. He eventually, slowly, went through the grass.

Progress was slow, even though Fray had sneaked through grass hundreds of times before on stealth activities. The problem was how he was going to get to the forest when he cannot risk his head to look up for directions, lest a predator finds him. It was too thick and tall to see through easily.

Something stopped him way before then... before he was even close to the forest...

Fray laid his entire body down, letting the grass surrounding him act as a cover. He waited... and suddenly felt a surge of energy around him and somewhere else.

A large ring of fire floated around him, floating just off the ground so it didn't touch the grass. It trapped him, not letting him move back, forward, or in any direction whatsoever.

Either the new assailant knew how to use fire, or it was the fire itself. Fray immediately leapt right over the ring and to safety, landing on a trunk.

Just as he landed on the trunk, the ring behind him had disappeared, another ring of flames surrounding him, this time taller, preventing him from jumping over it without burning himself.

It seems his pursuer didn't want him to get away that easily...

Something to note right about now were the flames themselves: they weren't orange or red like a normal one, but a bright blue, radiating a strange energy...

Fray pulled out Kunota, his black, one-sided sabre, and slashed through the ring.

Now... this is where things get complicated.

He would've been able to slash through the ring.

He would've been able to rush out of there and towards the forest.

He would've been able to do all that...

...if they were all normal flames...

Instead, the blade just went right through the flames, the ring unaffected by it.

Magical. Blue. Like foxfire?

The flames started to enclose on him. He had a passive ability to ignore some third-degree burns and frostbite, especially magical ones, so he was not too worried.

What he was really worried about was whether or not he can survive this kind of fire.

The fire continued to slowly close around him, the heat continuing to increase as it neared him.

It seemed that this was going to be the end...

Until the flames suddenly stopped, barely touching Fray.

Fray looked around, a little confused.

Nothing happened for a while, with Fray being trapped there, the flames keeping him in place.

It was only after a few seconds that his attacker revealed themself, the grass shifting in front of him.

The smell of embers and ashes filled his nose, the scent getting stronger as whatever it was approached.

Fray examined the being in front of him.

Correction: person in front of him.

In front of him... was a very—VERY—familiar face.

Her grey hair tied into twintails, a white bow adorning her head...

Hikari stood in front of Fray, a blank expression on her face as her eyes scanned over him.

Fray's eyes narrowed. He was already aware that there was a certain power inside Hikari. Like so many other people, like James Graham, like Akuma Kiyo, like Aric Ventus, this girl had hidden power. But why attack him? How did she get here? Was this the real one? Or a trick altogether?

He remained silent as Hikari stared blankly at the boy.

The grey haired girl continued to stare at him, her face just as blank as his...

Before her eyes narrowed, annoyance flashed through her eyes. "So, you're just going to stay silent in front of me? You're not even going to say a word?"

The flames seemed to grow in power, making it more hot around Fray as those words left her mouth.

Never judge a book by its cover.

"Are you really Hikari?" Fray obliged.

Surprise went through her as she heard him say her name, the fire dimming for a moment.

"...What are you talking about?" she answered him with another question, the flames growing once more.

Fray noted the visible confusion.

"You are an exact version of the Hikari I know. But do you have a name?" he questioned further.

Hikari just continued to stare at Fray, staying quiet once more as the confusion seemed to pile up inside her.

"What do you mean 'I know'? I don't know you at all, nor have I even seen you once before in my life. And of course I have a name!"

That confusion was washed away, her expression returning with annoyance and slight anger in her eyes. "Seriously, what are you talking about?"

I sensed a powerful seal on Hikari several times. Were memories included?

Fray sheathed his sword behind his back. "My name is Fray. What is yours?"

"I don't need to tell you," she replied, still with the flames preventing him from moving much. "Nor do I need to know yours, I just need you to stay quiet."

As she spoke, she started to move towards Fray, pulling out one of her blades from behind her.

In an instant, Fray slid Carn—his hidden dagger—out of his jacket's inner pocket and threw it at 'Hikari's' right arm. These flames would not bow to air, but they are not necessarily solid barriers.

The girl immediately drew her katana and deflected it.

The scout immediately leapt through the flames, letting an ice barrier protect him, and rushed at Hikari.

Hikari only growled as she jumped back and away from Fray, her katana still in her hands as she flicked her hand in his direction, a ring of fire appearing around him. "Just... stand still already!"

 _Jeez... at this rate I'll never be able to get what I need..._

Fray retaliated by sending several lances of ice in her general direction through the fire, then jumped high up over a sheet of ice under his foot, leaping over the flames once again.

His objective was to get to the village, but there was no telling whether or not 'Hikari' would follow him. It is also a policy of his to not kill every main character, so he would have to somehow disable her carefully, if not severely.

The girl continued to move away from Fray, purposely moving away from the forest and deeper into the fields as she continued to try and trap Fray, multiple rings of fire appearing around him before quickly closing in.

If any got close, they would stop right before doing any harm to him, staying very close to him.

But Fray continued using the same ice barrier, rushing through the flames and getting much closer to the girl with every ring conjured. Even so, it was strange how they did not seem to converge on him immediately.

"Why..."

The rings of fire just kept coming, trying to stop his advance as Hikari just kept moving backwards away from him.

"Won't you..."

She suddenly leapt back a great distance, giving enough distance between the two..

"Just."

Her eyes glowed a fierce red as she pointed her palms at Fray, energy gathering in front of her hands.

"Stay."

"STILL?!"

The energy gathering in front of her suddenly burst forward in a shockwave of fire, the attack rushing towards Fray at immense speeds.

Fray jumped higher than ever, making use of **Air Step**.

 **Air Step** was a magical technique Fray developed using his manipulation over ice to create small platforms under his feet, so that he can use incredibly versatile movement, 3D style. He still has not figured out how to make them last in the air longer, and using the Water element is more exhausting than using Fire.

The scout formed a wider ice platform in mid-air he can boost from. The ground was left to be quickly engulfed in fire.

But the boy remained unharmed, rushing at her at bullet speed.

Strangely however, just as the fire appeared, it was suddenly extinguished, no harm done to the grass and flowers.

Hikari watched as he rushed straight at her, stopping her attacks as she gathered energy once again as she placed the blade back in its sheath.

Fray then changed direction in mid-air, **Air Stepping** multiple times, until he was a blur zig-zagging towards 'Hikari'.

Her eyes tried to follow the blur as Fray moved towards her, waiting for him to get close enough as she continued to power her next attack up...

Then something blue, with something glowing orange on it, rushed past 'Hikari'.

She easily tilted her head to one side and watched the knife sink into the ground behind her.

She waited for Fray to come closer—

 _BOOM!_

'Hikari' suddenly felt herself pushed by something behind her, thrown into the air, heat slightly searing her back.

She saw a boot coming at her.

An inch close.

She barely had time to throw up her arms to block the attack, unable to draw her blade out in time.

 _This is going to hurt, isn't it?_ waswhat she last thought.

 ** _WHAM._**

Something cracked loudly.

'Hikari' was sent to the ground by Fray's roundhouse kick. She tumbled like a ragdoll, face up, eyes closed, nose bleeding profusely. Her fingers seemed to be broken at several painful angels from where she tried to block him.

The scout landed on the ground softly, breathing somewhat ragged, but fine.

He walked over to Hikari and had a dozen spears pin her down, with the accuracy to pin her down without tearing her clothes.

Fray carefully checked her face and watched her chest. She seems to be well and truly unconscious.

Or so he thought.

Her eyes were kept close, her body not showing any signs of moving...yet she still spoke, her voice weak from the pain. "No... I... I won't..."

Fray raised a fist.

Slowly, she started trying to move, unable to due to the spears pinning her body down. Her eyes were still shut, unable to see whatever Fray was doing...

Fray clenched and unclenched his fist.

Finally, he pressed a hand on her shoulder and asked, "Sorry if it really hurt. Can you just tell me why you attacked?"

Wow, even he cannot help but worry for this Hikari.

The girl didn't reply for a while, her movements stopping as she felt his hand on her shoulder. "..."

"I... I was j-just trying to s-scare you... s-so... I... I c-could..." she stopped as she shut her eyes more tightly, her hands trying to close into fists, which only caused her more pain.

"Stop moving your hands," Fray snapped. Hikari obliged.

As said above, Hikari stopped moving her hands, only letting her eyes remain shut as she continued..

"S-So I could...I could..." she fell silent once again as she couldn't take it, tears starting to slowly come from her eyes as she started crying. "I-I'm just s-so h-hungry..."

With every passing second, this Hikari was starting to sound more like the one Fray was talking to a while ago back at the lab. What a strange transition.

Luckily I prepared food rations.

Fray looked into his satchel and found his loaf of bread, wrapped in fabric. The satchel, being magic, acted as a convenient refrigerator too.

He tore it into pieces. "Say 'ahh'," he said.

She was silent once more for a while, slowly opening her eyes, tears still flowing down them...

When she saw the loaf of bread in his hands, surprise flashed through her once more, her eyes wide as she stared at the bread, then to the pieces in his hand. "..."

Reluctantly, she opened her mouth, watching Fray's every movement carefully as she waited. "Ahh..."

Fray continued this process with Hikari, telling her to chew slowly. At one point, the scout wiped the girl's tears away with a handkerchief, then let the spears disappear to let her sit up, eating the loaf on her own. Hikari let him do all of this, following whatever he said to do as she ate pieces of bread that were given to her. She let him wipe away her tears without a single sound of protest coming from her, as well as sitting up and eating the loaf by herself when she was allowed to.

"Do you want something to drink?" the scout asked.

She stopped eating for a moment, looking up to Fray before rapidly nodding, eager to get something to drink as well.

Fray took out a canteen and handed it to her.

"Just water," he told her. "I still have several more."

I think I left a canteen of tea somewhere in here...

She quickly took the canteen, setting aside the bread for the moment and gulping most of the water down in a matter of seconds, letting out a sigh of contentment once she was finished with it...

Fray watched her, checking if there was any trace of that brash girl from earlier. It seems safe so far.

"So Hikari," he said, causing the timid one to look at him with rapt attention, "why did you attack me?"

"O-Oh...well..." she looked away for a moment, trying to choose her words wisely before speaking again.

"Like I said e-earlier...I...I was trying to s-scare you..." she started off her explanation, still looking away as she closed her eyes, taking more bites out of the loaf of bread.

"Scare me," he repeated skeptically. "And the whole point of that aggressive behavior, elusive reason and scare was...?"

"I-I...I was trying to get you to stay still...to...scare you...a-all of that..." she took another gulp of water, putting down the now empty canteen. "W-Was so I could ask i-if you h-had any food..."

Fray stared at Hikari so hard that it could have bore holes into her soul.

 _Truly, hunger is a mighty instinct._

"Hikari, you're lucky that I am not that violent of a person."

Her smile faltered out of worry and hurt, staring into Fray's eyes with dark grey ones. "B-But i-it's true...I...I have to...i-it's my only way of getting food without harming anyone..."

"You could have just asked," Fray emphasized the last word. "What happened to you?"

She ignored his question however, continuing on with what he had just said before the question.

"I-I've tried asking... b-but all people do i-is d-decline or r-run away..."

"You mean the people in the village?" Fray tried asking softly.

Hikari was still shaking... And they were out in the open, in the middle of the night. Fray wanted to ask how she got here, why there was no wildlife or edible plants instead of the option to scare people for food (looking back at their scuffle, Hikari was actually drooling slightly despite her serious demeanor), but...

"Look, I want to ask you how exactly you got here, but I think we should be somewhere more secure. We should go to the village first. Then perhaps I can find you some more to eat...?"

At the mention of the village, she seemed to pale, her eyes wide with fear. "I-I... c-can't... h-how about we stay here i-instead for now...?"

At the mention of her own words, Fray's eyes narrowed to a deadpan stare. Hikari seemed to back off slightly.

They needed information, but since this is nighttime, they may need to wait for the villagers to wake up.

Fray turned away from Hikari and activated his Communicator's holographic HUD. He rotated the left speaker until he found the clock interface. The blocky lines indicated it was around 11 o'clock in the morning in Randall, but here it was close to 12 o'clock, near midnight.

"Okay, fine, we can go with your plan Hikari. Do you have a safe place in mind?" Fray relented, turning off the HUD.

The girl in front of him froze for a moment, as if realizing something. "W-Well... uhm... n-not really... kind of... r-really, this whole entire field area is a s-safe place..."

Fray looked around. The field actually did seem safe enough. Somehow, the forest seemed much more dangerous.

Although it was nighttime, it had only been a few hours since Fray last slept.

So he asked Hikari, "Do you need to sleep?"

The girl shook her head a few times, calming down a bit. "No...not really...I've gotten plenty of sleep..."

Even though she had said that however...it didn't really make sense...especially seeing as, upon further inspection, she looked as if she hadn't slept in a week or two...

"You must have been scared being on your own. How did you get here?" Fray asked.

He remembered seeing her last at the lab. How did she get here in such a short period of time?

"Uhm...what do you mean?" she asked, confusion in her voice. "I've always been here... oh yes, that actually reminds me... I needed to ask you something..."

"Yes little miss?" he allowed.

She didn't speak for a while, looking even more confused with what he had just called her.

That was only for a little while however, her confusion fading as she finally asked her question..

"Why do you sound like you know me? I've never seen you before in my life and yet you treat me as if you know me... just who are you?"

The boy appraised Hikari once more. She was the exact same one he saw a few hours ago.

Both of them did not need sleep, so they may be here for a while.

"First of all, my name is Fray," he introduced himself. "I come from Randall, which may be a very far place from here."

"Just... what is your name?" Fray asked. Start with basic information. This could be a case of clones, or some copy.

Or maybe...

"...Well... since you seem to know it already, my name is Hikari..." she answered, taking another bite out of the loaf of bread afterwards.

"How old are you? I'm fifteen."

"...Same age as you..." she replied after a moment of silence, seemingly hesitating to answer him...

She... seemed young, just like the Hikari he saw hours ago... the exact same age she was.

Same age. That may rule out time travel.

"Then... what is this island?" he asked next.

"This island is...well...a very vast place, filled with many places and living beings in those places...basically your regular old island..."

"That is not really informative," Fray admitted aloud. "But are there any notable dangers here?"

"O-Oh... well... let's see..." She paused to think about his question for a moment.

"The entire forest is filled with traps... a lot of them, so it's best not to go unless you want to... w-well..."

"U-Uhm... a-anyways... t-there are a few monsters here... but n-not many... They shouldn't pose much of a threat..."

"You said that you had to scare people into giving you food. You already tried asking for food from them before that. Does that mean they detest your presence, and the traps there are meant to stop you?"

"Oh, no. Those traps have been there way before then... they aren't meant for me in any way..."

"And... d-detest...? Well... not really... I'm not entirely sure..."

Hikari may not have been a threat to them it seems. Although she looked very lonely, and scaring them may not have been wise for their relationship.

"Do you have any money to use to buy from the villagers? Or do you even have a job as a fighter there?" Fray asked.

Hikari only shook her head, not wanting to say a word...

It seems like she really doesn't like talking about anything related to the village...

"Then, do you know anyone named Clockwork?"

"Nope..." she shook her head again, silently wondering who would be named such an odd name...

 _This Hikari does not know Clockwork or me, yet she is—or at least looks—fifteen years old. She still exhibits the same personality as the Hikari I knew. Supposedly she has been here ever since._

"Hikari, have you ever been anywhere else other than this island?" asked Fray, for what may be the final important question for the night.

Hikari was silent for a few moments, not replying for a while...

Finally, she spoke, giving him what could be the answer he needed. "Nope... I've been on this island for as long as I could remember..."

After that, Fray, still feeling awake and capable to fight more if needed, asked Hikari if she needed more food.

Hikari nodded, still feeling hungry for more food...

After all...

It had been two years since she last ate.

* * *

 ** _Well, over 6000 words? I think this is the first time I have submitted such a chapter this long._**

 ** _Please give credit to CrescentDawn7 for his OCs Hikari Akagi and Clockwork, as well as his huge part in creating the setting and half of this chapter you read. I am more or less the editor and publisher in a sense._**

 ** _Stay tuned for Part II!_**


	6. A Far-off Island (Part II)

**A New Year's gift from me (and unintentionally The Fell Angel/CrescentDawn7's) to you. May 2017 be a great year to you all!**

* * *

The two spent a little over six hours doing a few small things like small talk and games when the first light came. Both of them had been reading an adventure novel by lantern light (Hikari sat on the trunk, reading from the right and behind of Fray, keeping a minimal distance from him) when the scout noticed the sunrise.

It had been a long time since he saw a sunrise.

Hikari turned to see where he was looking, her prying her eyes away from the novel. She stared at the coming sun, watching as it slowly rose from the horizon...

It was a view she had always seen and grown accustomed to. Her eyes flickered over to Fray to see his reaction, more out of boredom from staring at the sun.

The scout was just studying it, it seemed to her. He did not smile or grin, much less grimace or blink from looking at the light.

He stared listlessly before asking the girl, "You did not ask me where I came from or how I got here right?"

"Yeah... I mean, I just assumed you came from the village..." she told him, turning her head up to the sky, watching the fading night sky. "So I just thought there was no need to ask..."

"Long story short, I used a teleportation device. Whether or not this is the right place, Clockwork did not tell me," Fray explained.

The scout had memorized the magical circle that helped with the teleportation process. He still needed to figure out how to activate it though...

"I see..." she murmured, still staring up at the sky as it slowly grew brighter.

She seemed lost in thought, eyes focused on the last few stars in the sky, watching as they disappeared.

Fray watched her gaze at the sky. "Is something the matter?"

"No... not... really..." she slowly replied. "It's just... it's been so long I've been staring up at these skies... now there's someone here to watch them with me... I..."

 _Lonesome. Socially awkward. Very much like Hikari._

"Mm..." Fray nodded in acknowledgement, looking up with her. "Do you want to stay here a while longer?"

"Yes... please..." was what she answered with, losing herself in the sky and in her thoughts.

She played with her fingers absentmindedly, now undamaged somehow, despite the injuries Fray caused with his signature flying kick. Her nosebleed had healed on its own as well.

 _That is another mystery I can solve later._ It would not do to ask the loner right now.

Fray closed his eyes, contemplating on what to do next. He did not want to leave Hikari here, seeing as she would most likely refuse to go to the village with him. What if she went somewhere else too far out of the way? If he stayed here, he could try to recreate the teleportation experiment. Although, he needed to secure a source of nutritions here on this island, if he had to stay for a long time.

But what about the village? It may have resources. And traps? Fray was used to avoiding them, even being able to guess most of them in the most likely and unlikely of places.

But he had not asked Hikari yet.

After a while, when a one-third of the sun was over the horizon, when the stars were fading away fast...

"Hikari, I am going to the village," Fray told her, waiting to see what she had to say.

"Wait, y-you are...?" she asked, snapping out of whatever she was thinking about and turning to face Fray. "A-Are you s-sure...? I-I mean... t-the traps there... and... u-uhm..."

It seemed as if she didn't want him to leave, her eyes filled with slight worry... just like how the one back at the mansion's eyes... filled with worry for his safety.

"If you have the courage, you can come with me," the boy offered. "If this is about the traps stopping you, well, I am used to disabling various traps. Assuming these are physical ones, we will be fine."

She was quiet, thinking about it as she slowly looked away from Fray, looking down to the ground now. "...it's not just that...not just the traps..."

"Then what is it?" Hikari may be telling him something important.

"Well... it's just..." she slowly brought her hands together, pushing her index fingers togehter in a sort of nervous motion. "They... they probably wouldn't l-let me in."

 _Besides... i-if I did g-go in... I... I might..._

She shook her head a few times, closing her eyes as she tried to ward away the bad thoughts...

Once again, Fray's inner compassion surprised him.

He took Hikari's right hand and squeezed comfortingly. It felt warm, yet... ancient...

"Why not let me help you with that?" he suggested, mentally noting the feeling down for later. "You did not have someone to help you with such a situation right?"

Her eyes opened at the feeling of her hand being gently squeezed by Fray. She glanced at his hand before looking back at him, nodding to his question. "Y-Yes, b-but... this... m-might not be something you can h-help with..."

She knew he couldn't help with this... no one could... it was her curse and her blessing...

 _Difficult situation._ Fray pursed his lips. _The villagers did not seem to 'detest' her, as she suggested. She seemed to have another different personality, one that was aggressive before. Is it about that? Was she worried about the villagers?_

"We will not know until we try. I will take full responsibility for whatever happens," Fray declared.

She was silent for a while, trying to think of a way to respond to him, her eyes closing again. "Y-You will take full responsibility for whatever happens..."

 **"Even though you don't know what will happen there...?"**

Fray's eyes narrowed when Hikari tightened her grip. Her voice was much like the Hikari he first met on the island, only it was... as ancient as the feeling he felt through her hand.

He remained undeterred, speaking, "Your powers had something to do with fire... but you fear that you will lose control. What is inside of you?"

Again, she was quiet, not replying for some time, fidgeting as if she was debating with herself to tell or not.

Slowly, Hikari removed her hand from Fray's grasp, standing up as she moved so she stood in front of him, facing towards him, her eyes staring into his own, as if peering into his soul...

Fray stared back. He may as well be staring into an abyss, where this time it was literally staring back at him. But he had dealt with the otherworldly so many times that the drilling feeling of being noticed by a... different being was dulled slightly.

Yet he may be stumbling onto something Hikari may reveal.

After a while...

The girl closed her eyes, taking a shaky breath as she concentrated.

Something on her back seemed to shift, something moving, only covered and restrained by the back of her jacket.

"Please... don't be scared..." she muttered, opening her eyes again to look at Fray.

But instead of the usual dark grey, they had changed to a bright, fiery red. They seemed to glow in the light, or maybe they actually were glowing?

"Oh. Is that all? If you were to reveal whatever is on your back, would it be wings or feathers?" was all that Fray said. "Some of my friends do say that my eyes glow. And honestly, I think that Akuma Kiyo has cooler looks in his ultimate form, but yours may be much more than that."

He sounded like he was the commentator in an outfit contest. Well, he did deal with the otherworldly, and seen his friends and fellow Summoners from afar doing all sorts of things. Must this be any different?

Truth be told, he could feel a majestic, intense aura that could explode at any moment.

She narrowed her eyes slightly at his words, but didn't say anything as she closed her eyes again.

After a few seconds, whatever was on her back burst out from behind her, revealing to be two wings, one on each side of her.

From the top, the feathers were a dark red color, slowly growing brighter as it moved down until it was near yellow at the tips of them.

What made them even more majestic was thhat they were wreathed in flames, embers falling to the ground as she spread them completely, letting Fray take a good, long look at them.

"Those wings of yours are just like that of Vargas, Lava... and maybe Phoenix," Fray commented aloud. "I understand that you are very powerful, but... is that all?"

"No... it's just... the villagers are wary of me... they know some phoenix roams the fields here...but they aren't sure if it's hostile or not."

"T-They're even more a-afraid of me b-because of some d-disappearances h-happening there..."

Fray's mind was racing. "Do you know what was causing these disappearances then?"

Hikari shook her head, looking down slightly. "Nope... all I heard that from was a passing conversation..." she told him, sounding worried, but not much.

"Then why don't we find the cause? That could clear your name and improve the villagers' attitudes towards you," Fray suggested.

 _It seems that returning home is not the only objective now._

"...they..." She fell silent, still looking down to the ground as she thought about it, her eyes trained on the dirt.

Finally she spoke, grumbling something out as her wings lowered, the flames dimming for a moment.

"Is that not a nice plan?" Fray asked.

"N-No... it's just..." she nervously gulped, her wings twitching as she did as if they were expressing her emotions as well. "A-Are you sure i-it would even w-work...?"

"Honestly, no," Fray admitted, "but if the villagers can realize you are friendly once you solve an important mystery of theirs, no longer would they be so scared of you. Isn't that better than being alone and feared?"

 _And I have no idea how to find you if I go on alone._

"..."

She was silent again, thinking about it in her head for a long while, silence filling the area once more. The flames had vanished for a moment, her wings stopping as if frozen in time..

"...It... i-it isn't..."

"What do you mean?"

"I-If I go... w-with them... if... if I do... just b-befriend them... a-all it will l-lead to i-is s-sadness f-for the both of us... I'm sorry F-Fray... b-but I can't go..." she told him all that as she looked back into his eyes, the bright red color of her irises still seeming to glow in the light.

 _What is she implying...?_

The scout decided that was as far as he could go.

"Have it your way." Fray trudged up the path into the forest. "I'm sure we'll meet again little miss."

Hikari nodded, watching as he moved towards the forest, her mouth shut as she became quiet.

Her wings seemed to lower even more at seeing him leave, worry slowly starting to appear once again...

The scout stopped. He could at least give her something. Not food though, since it does not last long.

He rummaged through his pack and produced a leatherbound book and a little pouch of black pens, then went back to Hikari.

"I think you may want something to do with your free time." Fray pressed it into Hikari's hands. "Write a new novel or document your adventure somewhere else, but I do hope that whatever you do with that book, it is worth your time in the world."

With that said and done, Fray went into the forest, only glancing back at Hikari once.

She looked to the book in her hands, then to the one who gave it to her, watching as he walked into the forests of the island, her expression slightly filled with joy.

 _..._

 _...Maybe... j-just this once... I'll..._

Slowly, she began to follow him, concealing her prescense like when they first met on this island as she held the book close to her chest.

* * *

Fray jumped from tree to tree, avoiding several pitfalls and strings and various metal wires on the ground. However, they must have been here for a long time, or they were activated by whatever wildlife was here, because some looked rusted or poorly hidden. The trees (smart villagers) were not as safe either, forcing Fray to take some time to creep past or set half of them off to continue.

After what must have been an hour, Fray was watching the village entrance from high up in a tree.

Some movement was spotted on top of the walls and by the base of the wooden gates, reinforced with iron. So far, there were no siege weapons. There were several diverging paths from the gates, likely leading to different parts of the island.

He dropped to the ground, letting the thick trees hide the majority of the village from a distance. He was on a safe path, free of traps, probably meant for the villagers.

As he walked, everything seemed to slowly grow darker, the sunlight above starting to become obscured by the leaves and branches moving out and joining together.

Unnoticed by him was Hikari, who walked a distance behind him, still holding that same book close to her chest. She only watched Fray, unsure of what to do or how to approach him.

Fray continued walking down the safe path to the village, noticing a black figure on the same path. Whoever it was, they came closer.

The scout had some good eyes, and whatever little morning light that came through the trees helped. He appraised this new stranger as the both of them came closer to each other.

The stranger was a man in his twenties, with long grey hair, the top messy while it was let loose behind him, only reaching to his neck. His red eyes peered into Fray's, not moving away from him as he kept on walking.

Most of his body was covered in a black cloak, the only parts being seen were his legs, which were clothed in grey pants. Dark grey boots protected his feet.

What was strange about him was the large sword strapped to his back (a Buster Sword?), a gem adorning the grey hilt, one half of it being black, the other being white. The blade itself was of a similar color pattern, one side being a light grey, the other being a darker variant.

The man only stared at Fray as they got closer, his eyes narrowed slightly.

The boy came slowly to a stop, deciding it would be best to greet him.

"Hello sir?" Fray did a little wave. "I just recently came to this island and heard of a settlement here. Currently I have no means of getting back to my home, so I was hoping I could find some help at the village."

The man did the same, not waving but instead keeping his hands to his pockets. "You recently came here? How so?"

He seemed to take note of his other words, but was taking things one step at a time by asking him about his first statement.

As this all happened, Hikari watched, her aura and prescence still concealed from Fray, curious about this new man.

"Oh, a teleportation experiment."

He raised an eyebrow, scanning the boy in front of him with curious, yet wary eyes. "...Alright then..."

He thought Fray was slightly insane, or maybe he hit his head from an attack...?

"Anyways, you said you wanted help at the village, right?"

The scout nodded. "Can you take me there?"

The man nodded, his eyes flickering to something behind Fray. The motion was difficult to notice, so it was hard to say the boy would actually notice it.

As he nodded, he took out some sort of thin pipe, along with something purple out of his pocket. He inserted the purple thing into the pipe. "Before I take you there, I must ask, what is your name?"

"Fray," he answered. "And yours?"

"Gawain... Gawain Roland" he told him, putting the pipe in his mouth...

Just as he did, whatever the purple object he had inserted into the pipe suddenly flew out from the part sticking out, racing right by Fray's head and hitting something behind him.

"Was something following me?" Fray calmly asked, undeterred by the fact Gawain had a blowpipe.

"Yes, something was." he told him, putting away the blowpipe as he heard the sound of something collapsing behind Fray, his eyes not leaving the boy. "Though, I should be saying 'someone' instead of 'something'..."

On the ground a distance behind him was a familiar phoenix, her wings spread out on the dirt, unmoving. She lay there, not a sign coming from her showing if she was okay or not.

Fray sighed and crouched down, taking hold of Hikari's wrist and felt for a pulse.

"Hikari... So was the dart filled with a sleeping solution of some sort?" he asked the man aloud.

"More of a paralyzing potion." he replied, watching as Fray stepped and knelt towards Hikari. "I advise you step away from her for the moment, as it might have not taken effect yet."

"Why? She is not that dangerous." Fray stood up and looked back at the man.

Gawain's eyes had narrowed, scanning over the boy, his expression showing he was suspicious about his words. "How do you know?"

"She was the first person to meet me on the island when she tried to scare me into giving her food. It was yesterday," said Fray nonchalantly. "If all of you had been more brave and tried some other way of communication, you would have realized that she did not mean any harm."

"And risk getting ourselves killed?" he said in response, taking a step towards Fray. "I think not. Besides, how are we supposed to do so when she's the one who kept on killing our own?"

"Can you tell me of what happened then?" the scout asked.

He was silent for a while, thinking to himself before nodding. "Alright. But only so I can show you why we couldn't just go out and talk to her."

Fray only nodded and gestured for him to go on.

The taller man leaned against a tree, staring up at the sky. "You know of the village at the center of this forest, right?"

"I do," Fray replied. "Supposedly some of the villagers went missing, yes?"

Gawain nodded, closing his eyes in thought. "Yes. I am surprised you know of that, considering you just recently came to this island..."

Fray decided to leave out how he obtained the information for later. "But what of the villagers?"

"It is unknown what happened to the villagers. A single step outside the village gates and they're gone. No signs of a struggle nor any sign of blood being spilt. They simply... vanish."

"So do they just disappear into thin air?" the scout pressed for more information.

The guard nodded, opening his eyes to look at Fray once more, his eyes seemingly glowing in the shade of the tree. "Exactly. They're just gone."

"...Then if that is the case, shall we all go to the village for now? Whatever mysterious force took your villagers could be watching us at this very moment." The boy glanced at a few bushes for a while.

"Alright then. I was going to offer if you wanted to come to the village for a place to stay, but that reason works as well," he replied, pushing himself off the tree and heading towards Hikari, who was still paralyzed and on the floor.

"What are you going to do sir?" Fray asked.

"I'm going to bring her with me." he said, taking Hikari off the ground and putting her over his shoulder.

The book Hikari had been holding tumbled off to the ground as she was picked up. This did not go unnoticed by the two.

"What is this?" The guardsman reached out for the book.

But Fray beat him to it, smoothly picking it up and tucking it into his arm. "An empty book I lent to her, as a parting gift," he explained.

Gawain merely eyed it, as if expecting it to grow an eye on the cover. His first introduction had been eerily honest despite being somewhat unbelievable.

As proof of innocence, Fray flipped the aged pages open. They were all blank.

The guardsman shrugged with a sigh as Fray tucked it back into his right arm. "Just stay behind me," he said.

"You would not dare harm her would you?" Fray still had not grasped whether or not this man would kill Hikari.

"That depends." he replied, turning around towards Fray. "Our village's elders would like to see if she could be the cause of all these disappearances. If she is... well, I wouldn't say right now."

 _So far he has a blowpipe. It is safe to assume he has fought hard before._

"Fine," said Fray. "Just be gentle with her."

Gawain nodded as he turned towards where the path continued. "Come on then, let's go."

As he said that, Hikari's wings seemed to twitch for a second, flames appearing for just a second before they disappeared.


	7. A Far-off Island (Part III)

Fray walked close, behind the guardsman, watching both the path and Hikari from time to time. So far she still seemed unconscious to him.

They continued to walk for quite a while, the trees becoming less crowded and dense as they moved onward. Soon a clearing opened up to them.

"This village of yours, how many people are in it exactly?" the scout asked, estimating the number to be over ten dozen judging from its size.

"Many. Despite there being a lot of people, we still get by fairly," he told him, making his way through the clearing, revealing the center of the forest where the village was located.

From where they had stopped, the path and land around it moved downwards like a slope, ending in flat ground, grass all around it. The village itself was in the very middle of this, large thick walls surrounding the village itself. Not much could be seen from where they stood due to the walls blocking any sight of the place being seen.

They continued until they reached the gates, where two guards in grey armor and leather flanked either side of the gate. More guards patrolled on top of the walls.

Gawain stopped in front of the guards, still holding Hikari over his shoulder. "Identification please," one of the guards said. Gawain nodded in affirmation as he dug into his pocket for something.

 _Identification checkpoint. What do they do with outsiders?_ the boy silently wondered, watching the guards.

Gawain showed the guards something, Fray being unable to see what it was from where he stood. The taller man also whispered something to the guards, eyes narrowed slightly. After a few seconds, the guards nodded, Gawain putting away whatever he took out.

It was then that one of the guards noticed the boy behind Gawain. "And who might that be?" he asked.

Fray gave a polite bow and answered, "Fray. I just recently arrived here by means of an experimental transport."

The guards stared at Fray for a while, glancing at each other, then back at Fray. "Experimental transport...?" asked one guard, the other whispering to Gawain about something.

They were a bit wary of Fray, especially with the mention of the strange way he got here.

"I am not as witless as you all think," the scout said loudly.

"Of course you aren't," the guard replied hastily. "It's just... experimental transport? It's—"

Gawain stopped the man, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, he can come in. I assure you he means no harm at all."

The guardsmen still gave Fray suspicious looks before allowing them through.

Gawain led Fray through the gates into the main section of the village. It was a nice sight to see: all of the houses were made of wood, people roamed about doing their business, children played games—it was a peaceful place. Thick trees all around provided shade for many, some birds sitting atop them.

The scout took some mental notes of the village, like how there were a little more people than he first thought, the lack of machinery and hence the fresh air (ignoring the manure) and the lack of tenseness in the air.

Gawain led him through deeper into the village. Some random young ones stopped whatever they were doing to look at him, curious as to who this stranger was.

Being fifteen and a half years old, carrying something that looks suspiciously like a sword on his back and obviously foreign, there were all sorts of people looking to see who exactly this newcomer was.

"Do you happen to get more foreigners like me often sir?" Fray asked, scanning the onlookers around them.

"Not really." Gawain answered, leading him to what appeared to be an inn. "Since not many travel to this island, we don't get many foreigners here."

"But since you do get foreigners, however did they get here then?"

"It is unknown really. Most of them don't exactly remember how they get here... so we just assume they came from distant lands far off from here..."

 _Then there is a chance that some of them would know about a way back._

"I assume that I would be staying in that inn. But after that, what would you do with her?" Fray asked, looking back at the passerby who stared. The majority immediately turned their heads away, but the few left looked at him with curiosity.

"The phoenix?" he asked, gesturing to the still paralyzed Hikari. "I will bring her to the elders of our village. There, she'll be asked questions in an attempt to find out who the monster who's been taking our people is."

"I'll come with you then, after making sure of my lodgings."

"Are you sure?" he asked, adjusting Hikari on his shoulder. Something clearly changed in his tone though. "It could get a bit... violent... if she's proven to be the monster, and if she doesn't answer, well... you wouldn't want to see it."

"I will not just leave her either way," Fray calmly insisted.

"You will have to, they won't allow you in," Gawain told him with the same amount of calm, his eyes slightly narrowed.

 _Drawing my sword or showing off magic to prove supremacy would paint me in a bad light. Even if I am witness, I am a stranger to them, and have been here on this island for only nearly a day. My word is not all that great. What will they all want?_

"What if she goes out on a rampage once you attempt to kill her? Assuming you will ask her once she awakens, it is risky to even tranquilize her in that state."

Gawain was silent for a while, sighing as he dug in his pockets. "Let's just say..."

He then took out a slip of paper, markings all over it. "We have ways to restrain her."

 _Paper seals. Like the ones the shrine priests use? Different markings from the ones I know._

"Then will you let me watch over your investigation?" Fray suggested. "I planned on finding the source of your troubles while I am here, but I may be able to get more information from your leaders here."

Again he shook his head, denying his request. "I am sorry...if you wish, you can see them all when it is finished.."

Fray gave him a stare before looking back at the inn. "Fine then."

Gawain was silent for a while, his eyes narrowed as he seemed to be in deep thought...

He then sighed as he walked over to Fray, holding out Hikari in his arms in front of Fray.

Fray blinked. "Why are you handing her over to me?"

 _I suppose I will not be testing out Forsyth's rune explosives?_

"Look, I'm only doing this due to the fact they would hurt her extremely if they don't get any results, and the fact you keep on wanting to see her or be close to her." he quickly muttered to him, still holding the phoenix in his arms, urging Fray to take her.

Fray gingerly held Hikari in his arms, bridal style. She had not stirred in the slightest.

"Thank you, but do your superiors even know of Hikari?" the boy asked.

"No, and it's better we keep it that way." he said in that same rushed voice. "If they do, then they'll hunt her down and try to capture her. Now, I used a painless way to take her down, but when they do send out others to get to her, they won't hesitate to let out their worst abilites."

 _Oh, so they even have magicians. Or at least veterans._

"Thank you Sir Gawain." Fray bowed slightly, unwilling to disturb Hikari. "Shall I just go...?"

Gawain nodded once, glancing around a few times after. "If you wish you can stay at the inn here for a while to rest. It's run by my sister, so you can tell her you were sent by me for a nice room if you wish."

The two parted ways, Fray glancing at Gawain a few steps after, then nodded gratefully. The man seemed to have a look in his eye.

Whatever his reasons were, they were likely reasonable and humanitarian. Maybe Fray could get this Hikari off this island, away from some supposed demon-hunting villagers.

But if could not, or Hikari had some unexplained reason to stay... Who knows?

With a look back at Hikari, still sleeping soundly in his arms, he quickly walked to the inn. It would be problematic if he attracted more attention than needed.

Gawain watched as the boy walked to the inn, the look in his eyes remaining for a few seconds before turning around, heading towards the gates for... work.

* * *

The inn Fray was heading to was fairly larger than average, the walls made of wood and a door at the front as its entrance. It seemed to emanate a safe, warm feeling to all close by.

Fray walked inside, examining the many clients staying here. The pub of the first floor was filled with people who looked a little groggy, probably from waking up a little early in the morning or nursing a hangover from last night. They either chatted with each other or ate breakfast, but otherwise the mood here was as nice as it looked.

Careful not to bump into any people and attract too much attention, especially with a girl in his arms, the boy walked over to the counter on the other side of the room. The innkeeper was there, looking like she was writing on something from behind the counter.

The innkeeper, a girl who looked very similar to Gawain, except with her grey hair tied into a ponytail, was too busy writing in a small notebook to notice Fray, murmuring something to herself.

"Excuse me miss?" Fray started, wondering how suspicious he looked. A short boy carrying someone his age. Maybe not too suspicious?

"H-Huh?" She stopped writing, glancing up from the notebook and looking him up and down before giving him a wide smile. "H-Hello there! How may I help you today sir?"

It seemed she didnt care much about the girl in his arms... or maybe she had yet to notice?

The boy continued, "Your brother, Gawain, sent me here. I wanted to find a place to stay, and he suggested this place."

"R-Really now?" she murmured to herself before replying to him. "Well, you've come to the right place then! H-"

She seemed just about to continue when she stopped, finally noticing the young girl in his arms. "..."

 _Now she notices?_

The innkeeper would probably next ask why the Phoenix is in his arms in just a few seconds.

"Sorry," Fray said, "but this friend of mine accidentally fell asleep on the way here. I had to carry her, although piggybacking her may have been a less suspicious alternative no?"

"P-Possibly.." she quietly replied, looking around to see if anyone else was seeing what she was seeing.

 _She seems to be talking about Hikari, yet that tone suggests otherwise._

"Anyway, are there two rooms for this girl and I?" Fray asked impassively. "Although, we may have to stay for some time."

"You'll be staying for a while? Well, let me check first to see if we have any free rooms for you two.." she told him, putting the notebook away in exchange for a bigger one. The girl began to skim through the pages, her eyes looking at each one, despite how fast they were being turned.

The boy looked around the pub, tenants looking slightly more lively than before. They continued to eat, although he saw some of them averting their eyes by the bar counter and tables. A boy stared at him before his older sister nudged him away.

After a while, the innkeeper finally stopped at one page—the very last page to be specific. Upon taking a closer look...

"S-Sorry Mister...it seems all but one of our rooms are taken," she said to him, taking his attention away from the others and back to what they were talking about.

 _The authors of this chapter have conspired to make things a little complicated. Jed would not like it. No matter._

"That is fine. I can share the room with my friend," he answered.

"If that's fine with you, then alright!" she smiled as she took out a pen. "All I need is both your names and for how long you two are staying."

The scout laid Hikari against the counter for a moment to pick up the pen and write his name on the little slot. He then looked back at the unconscious girl.

"Do you happen to know this girl?" Fray indicated the Phoenix Girl.

"Her?" She moved a bit closer, looking over the girl a few times. "Not... really... she doesn't seem to be someone who's been here before..."

Fray wrote 'Shion' on the ledger.

"Is there a key for our room?" Fray asked, setting the pen down.

The girl nodded, pulling open a drawer and taking out two keys and placing them in front of Fray on the counter. "Yup! Both keys are the same key to the same room. Just be careful not to lose these keys!"

Without further ado, Fray carried Hikari upstairs.

The room they were in was modest. There was a single desk, a wardrobe, and a bathroom they would have to take turns using. A lantern sat unlit on one of the two bedside tables, as sunlight lit the room from the window, making a bright pool on the polished wooden floor.

The problem was that there was only one bed. Meant for two.

Well, he had a sleeping roll, so he simply laid Hikari on the bed for the time being.

Hikari was still in her unmoving state, not a single twitch or movement coming from her. She simply slept on without a care in the world, like that Timeless Teacher.

Fray slid out the chair under the desk, smoothly so that Hikari would not wake abruptly, and quietly sat on it, contemplating. He probably looked like someone after a day's worth of tiring work.

He could start with trying to wake Hikari up right now, like pinching her nose or digging around in her mouth with a hand, but that petty thing can wait.

Gawain claimed that there were other travelers who arrived in mysterious ways. However, the guard had not said a single thing about ships that can take Fray or Hikari off the island. The girl probably would have tried to leave if there were any, and there was not a single port on the beach.

The scout needed more information about this island. Maps and vantage points would be nice. He could also ask the unknown travelers for help as well.

It was still daytime outside, maybe around nine or ten o'clock. He had plenty of time before nightfall.

The boy got off the chair and took out the book he gave to Hikari. He quietly tore off a page, took out a pen and wrote a note for Hikari. It would not do for her to panic while the girl was left to her own devices.

Finished, he left the note on top of the book, lying on the desk. Looking back at Hikari's sleeping form as he opened the door, he muttered a quiet goodbye and left the room.

Silence filled the hallway Fray was in now, not a sound to be heard. Ahead of him was the way leading back downstairs, while behind him lead to more stairs and more doors.

He went back out of the inn, looking around. There were plenty of rooftops, but he did not want to be arrested for suspiciously climbing property without permission. He would have to make do with walking around, even if he might get lost.


	8. James's Lewd Days

**_Author's Note: This short story was the result of two romantic Tora and Feeva fan arts and a question I asked of SomeWanderingAnon._**

 ** _James is a man after all._**

* * *

 _Graham Residence, James's Office_

James Graham never experienced something like typical, boyish 'desires', if you can call a biological function that. Sure, he likes candy, gets socially awkward, and does plenty of illogical things, but for most of the time, he is a serious mercenary at best.

He would never allow something like libido get in the way of his work.

That was something Valerie Windell assumed until this morning in their office.

James was glancing at Tora before going back to sorting out some mission files at his desk. The Disciple herself seemed to blush a little before paying attention to the bluebirds by the office's windowsill.

Valerie looked from her pile of requests on her desk and studied the birds building a nest. Tora had been helping them by supplying some bits of sticks the last morning. The mercenary wondered if they were going to lay some eggs soon.

James and Tora had a relationship where the mercenary was the older brother, and the Disciple was the little sister, or so Valerie thought. She remembered James recounting his story when he first Summoned the Disciple—and after having learnt of her past—became a person who had much in common with the girl. They had been close ever since.

Although, Valerie could not help but think of the rare times they got close.

At any rate, this behavior did not go unnoticed by the female mercenary. She thought of asking some other time, although such questions may lead to James being aloof and Tora a red, steaming mess. It was not like Valerie dated anyone before.

"Dated..." she muttered quietly.

"What was that Valerie?" James had heard her, not looking up from his desk.

"Nothing! Just, wondering, what Lunar was saying about dating the other day!"

She could have sworn James's good eye twitched. Tora made a stifled noise before saying, "I n-need to check on the roses!" before slamming into the doorframe and scurrying out of the room.

The mood had become awkward as Valerie went back to looking at a Meru Meru request.

* * *

 _Forest_

"You sure it's around here?" James asked, Retribution catching pinpricks of sunlight through the forest's canopy, as he looked around with Sirius, Tora and Mariela.

Valerie nodded, Gospel ready to blast roots that may erupt anywhere around them. Lara and Hisui were beside her, prepared to cast some defensive spells. Ramna had her scimitar out, and being a Fire-type, she can easily cut down wooden monsters.

The ground rumbled. "It's coming...!" James whispered a warning.

The Meru Meru then crashed through some trees, knocking them aside, roaring as it came to defend its territory by crushing some puny invaders.

"Tora!" he shouted.

 **"Demon Thorn Imprisonment!"**

Roots and vines wrapped around the Meru Meru, straining its movements and enchanting everyone's weapons with various ailments. Dark purple energies curled around the thorns.

The tree demon then resorted to letting his tentacle-like vines shoot down at its captors. Spike-like roots started to erupt from the ground, headed for the Raid group.

Ramna quickly waved her sword, letting a stream of fire burn a majority of the blue vines. Sirius and Mariela rushed to unleash their own Super Brave Bursts, white and blue energies intercepting the spikes.

The two parties traded blows back and forth, although it was one-sided for Valerie and the others. The Meru Meru already had several gashes in its trunk and bled. So far they had no casualties, but the Summoner and Units fought worse things than a measly tree demon.

Halfway into the fight, while Valerie was charging up for another Spectrum Slam (Fray dubbed this beam-like move), the demon lashed out with its vines.

Valerie jumped out of the way and hid behind a tree, like most of the others did, except Tora was swatted by a blue vine and tripped over a tree root.

The vines grabbed her and, as Valerie watched with amazement, squeezed and slithered through her dress.

"Wh-Wha— help!" the Disciple shouted, squirming and waving her dagger wildly.

Valerie was tempted to stare at the vines, a memory of a woman groping her from behind arising, before fighting down a blush. "I'm coming Tora!" she shouted.

But before anyone could do anything, James suddenly shot up from another tree and cleaved the top of the Meru Meru, leaving the vines to stop fondling the Disciple and drop limply to the ground along with her.

As Tora scrambled out of the pile, James dug Retribution into the demon's trunk and gathered dark magic around him, and pumped it into the sword.

Three seconds later, the demon exploded, scattering bits of wood, splinters and mystery blood, all smoking with dark energy like smoke.

Valerie stared dumbly before focusing on Tora, her dress torn in the chest area.

"T-Tora," she managed to say, "are you alright!?"

The Disciple nodded, looking very red trying to cover herself up. While the Units examined the remains of the demon, James walked up to Tora.

For some reason, he was not look— Oh, yeah. Tora's clothes.

James took off his coat. "H-Here, wear this for a while," he offered.

...Did he stutter?

Tora accepted the coat anyway, meekly looking at ground, muttering a word of thanks.

Valerie looked between the two, blinking.

...

Processing...

...

Not a clue.

* * *

 _Graham Residence, James's Room_

James sat on his bed, running a hand through his hair. Doing that technique earlier, gathering so much negativity exuding from the demon and forcing it to explode, combined with his own, and turning Retribution into a spike where he could pump energy through...

He felt exhausted, but more mentally than physically.

For some reason, he could not dispose of the image of Tora's torn dress.

He flipped over his pillow onto the brown carpeted floor, imagining himself throwing down a thug, or a dummy. One that he could vent his exasperation through.

The mercenary hooked the pillow with his left foot and grabbed it, tossing it back onto his bed. It was almost ten o'clock now.

James freshened up in his bathroom, then quickly hit the hay.

* * *

 _"F-Feeva..."_

 _"Yes Tora?"_

 _Feeva held a box of chocolate-covered sticks. Tora was holding onto one in her mouth, mumbling._

 _"I-Isn't this game a little too... intimate?"_

 _"Come now, we were curious about this silly game. If we were to you know, kiss, it is something simple between friends, isn't it?"_

 _"But that... f-fine..."_

 _Feeva bit on the other end of the stick. "Let's eat~"_

 _"L-Let's~"_

 _The two bit slowly, lips closing in on each other as the stick grew shorter and shorter. Tora's blush grew as Feeva continued biting._

 _They were getting closer..._

 _Rosy lips getting closer..._

* * *

James instantly sat up, bolt straight, blinking his eyes. He quickly looked at his alarm clock.

 _8 a.m.? But it felt so short... and tiring..._

There was a knock on his door.

"Hey James?" Tazer was speaking from behind the door. "Valerie wanted me to come wake you up for breakfast, and for that important matter." This Disciple disliked orders, but he took requests sometimes.

"Thanks Tazer," James called to the door, hearing Tazer walking out of the hallway.

He sighed. What was that dream? He never had one such as that before.

About two girls, doing something intimate he heard about a few weeks ago at a café. Tora and Feeva, eating the same stick, getting closer, about to—

James buried his head into his sheets, tempted to scream. That dream was worthy of a pervert's!

He quickly got dressed, not wanting to miss today's outing.

Today, he was going out with Valerie to the Official Guild of Synthesizers in the Imperial City, buying a few essential items they could use on their Raid Missions. They apparently had a discount that would last for a few hours, which would attract plenty of people into buying them. Valerie wanted them to get there quickly.

After a quick breakfast of dull porridge, the two mercenaries set out with some of their Units, so as to not congest the roads with too many people. It seemed that other Summoners had the same idea though, going to the city in a sizable crowd the closer they got to the Capital. Sirius and Tora were out, looking around, while Hisui and Lara stayed by Valerie's side. The rest of the Units stayed back at home, no doubt sparring with each other or exploring more of the Village of the Venturer and Grand Gaia.

Soon, they reached the guild's headquarters, where various people crowded the inside, purchasing wares from vendors shouting discounts. James eyed a few packs of potions they could buy in bulk.

"James!" Sirius exclaimed, getting separated by the crowd. Valerie and Hisui were having trouble pushing through, while Lara was unfortunately squashed between two men.

"Don't worry! We'll meet at the square once we get what we came for!" James shouted. They nodded, separating to find a few leftover items.

"Tora?" James tried to turn around and look for her when the someone from behind bumped into him.

"J-James!" she exclaimed, clearly behind him.

The girl was pressed against him, lacking in any bosom, but there certainly was some form of it.

...He pried himself away from such thoughts before saying, "Hold onto my coat. We don't want to get separated from each other!"

"Y-Yes!" He felt her clutching at his coat.

The two made their way to a few stands, getting some shopping done, but every now and then the crowd would close in on them, causing Tora to hug James's back. Whether or not this was done on instinct or safety, it was safer than being swept away by the crowd. Thankfully, they lasted for only a few moments before Tora quickly went back to clutching at his coat.

Once they gathered what they needed, James led Tora out of the guild.

"Right," James said, "we should meet the others at— whoa!"

Tora had been pushed by a stumbling deliveryman, her eyes wide, tripping and nearly hitting the ground were it not for her quick Summoner.

James caught her in his arms, getting a little too close to her face.

...

Her lips were more soft-looking than he—

He helped the Disciple stand upright. "Are you alright Tora?"

"I-I'm fine," she replied shakily, looking away. "Shall we... go now?"

The two caught up with their friends without any more problems, Tora still holding onto him all the way.

* * *

 _The two Disciples were red in their cheeks as Feeva's face approached Tora's. In the Dark-type Disciple's gloved hand was a heart-shaped chocolate._

 _"Feeva, is... that my...?"_

 _"Sorry, I thought it would be nice to share Valentine's Day treats with someone you like. I think this is a more... fun way of showing my gratitude for your chocolate."_

 _"O-Oh really? W-Well..."_

 _Feeva put the chocolate between her teeth._

 _"What...? O-Oh..." Tora understood what was happening._

 _They got closer, and closer, and closer..._

 _They bit on the chocolate together and—_

 _A familiar ringing sound put the scene to a sudden pause._

The alarm clock rang, and probably saved James. Although if it really was saving him from something he wanted secretly, but assuming James did not want that scene...

It saved the Summoner when he nearly gets late for work. Now it saved him from something else entirely.

James was unsure why this was happening. He never had such... perverted dreams. He never liked any of them.

So this could have something to do with what happened three days ago.

As he got dressed, he quickly tried to remember what happened back then.

* * *

 _Arena, Waiting Room_

 _Tora waited for her Summoner to come back from his trip to the bathroom, having been forced to clean his and the other Units' clothes of some mystery green goo that came out of a spherical bomb from their last fight. The challenge was to use items only, and they won, although they suffered some casualties._

 _Luckily such 'joke' battles did not end in death, but Tora prayed for the ones who suffered from hives and broken ankles._

 _Either way, James wanted to fight some more battles before calling it a day. Tora was there to wait for their next challenger, who may personally show up at their room._

 _Sure enough, someone did, but it was a Unit that arrived._

 _"Tora?" asked the Cataclysm Empress._

 _"Feeva? Is that you?" the Rose Empress asked with the same disbelief._

 _The other Disciple chuckled. "Interesting coincidence! I don't believe we have met ever since our time in that prison?"_

 _Tora shook her head. "N-No, I've only seen duplicates of you, but I had never talked to any."_

 _"So many copies of us these days..." Feeva shook her head. "But how has your Summoner been treating you?" She took a seat on the bench Tora sat on._

 _"James has been really kind towards me. Well, he takes me out sometimes to look at things around Randall, and sometimes other places, along with my other friends..."_

 _Their chat turned into something like that, about what they were doing with their Summoners lately. It was a common subject Units would discuss, and an enjoyable one, until Feeva remembered something._

 _"Oh, I almost forgot. My Summoner is still sorting out a problem, so he wanted me to check on James Graham and his squad and make sure they don't get too impatient."_

 _"I was here waiting for our next challenger. I guess that's you and your squad?"_

 _Feeva nodded. "How powerful have you gotten then?"_

 _Tora frowned, knowing what she meant. "I... still don't like fighting all the time."_

 _She may have gotten more confidence in her Seven-Star form, but it did not get rid of one of her defining quirks._

 _The Dark Disciple clapped a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's fine if you're nervous, but you have been fighting a lot lately yes?"_

 _"I was..."_

 _"Then shouldn't a match consisting of pranks between two sides be that much of a bloody battle? That's nothing compared to the things we Units have been through."_

 _The Earth Disciple felt a smile coming. "I guess I shouldn't be too worried about a simple match like this."_

 _"That's the spirit! Now, would like a drink—"_

 _The door burst open, interrupting Feeva._

 _"S-Sorry!" It was one of the Arena staff members, frantically rushing inside the room and hiding behind a pillar. "It turned out I found the Grand Jelly running rampant!"_

 _"G-Grand Jelly? The one meant for those new bombs?" Tora bit her lower lip._

 _"I-It separated into smaller pieces once I found it, and now little globs of it are running around!" he explained quickly, then tensing when a sloshing sound was heard from the corridor._

 _The Jelly was just about Tora's height, but it still moved around slowly like a Grand Jelly did. Its insides were littered with trash like animal bones, and wood steamed with green smoke when it came in contact with the doorframe._

 _It slid across the stone floor in a gelatinous way, but the Disciples felt it becoming hostile._

 _"Disgusting..." Feeva muttered, drawing her curved sword. "Tora?"_

 _"I'll help!" Tora held out a her dagger._

 _The mini-Jelly lurched forwards, but Feeva side-stepped and landed a thrust on the monster. Tora followed up with a slash and jumped back._

 _The green monster started thrashing around, flinging slime everywhere. Feeva quickly conjured her dolphin-shaped obsidian puppet and used it as a shield, protecting her and Tora from the goop, before making it rocket towards the slime._

 _The dolphin slammed into the mini-Jelly, causing both to fly in the air and crash into the far wall opposite of them before exploding. Bits of obsidian flew into the air and disappeared harmlessly, but slime went everywhere._

 _And some of it landed right on the girls._

 _"Disgusting!" Feeva exclaimed, furiously trying to wipe off the goo. Tora yelped and tried to the same, brushing off some that got onto her sleeves._

 _But no one noticed the other mini-Jelly that slithered through the vent on the wall. It shuddered for it moment before launching itself at the Disciples._

 _The staff member noticed this and tried to shout, but it was too late._

 _Tora yelped as she felt herself being slammed into from behind, plowing into Feeva's stomach headfirst and squashed by something icky._

 _The feeling was very, thoroughly unpleasant._

 _"Begone!" a woman shouted._

 _The two Disciples were blasted by a rush of water from their left, forcing them to roll over to their right._

 _As soon as Tora regained her bearings, she managed to blink and see a dazed-looking Feeva, her hands on either side of her face on the ground, and clothes tattered and riddled with holes. The Empress was dripping wet with water too._

 _"U-Uh..." someone uttered._

 _"Huh? James...?" Tora turned her head to her right._

 _James was standing there, his good eye wide. Mariel seemed to be surprised, if not looking on with something like embarrassment._

 _Tora then looked down on herself. Her dress was just as soaked and tattered as Feeva..._

 _And made her look semi-nude._

 _"Tora..." James said, looking for something else that could capture his eye better than the scene in front of him._

 _"I-I-I-I—!" Tora stuttered. The humiliation, the shame from being seen by another man was... too much._

 _Even Disciples can get embarrassed after all._

* * *

 _Tora's and Mariela's Room_

Tora remembered Mariela helping Feeva up and James quickly draping his coat over her. The other slimes were quickly killed off by other Summoners, yet Feeva and Tora were the only ones affected by them. Why her, out of all the others?

That coat had been warm, a good memory of her Summoner being caring, but now she had a very 'compromising' memory to go with that.

Whenever she looked at James, she could only imagine him remembering the same scene burned into his eyes. Tora could only feel herself blush at the very thought. She cannot just ask him to stop remembering that, not without bringing up that same awkward mood that would get between them lately ever since that time.

As Tora wandered in her thoughts, the bird she had been watching on her windowsill chirped.

"O-Oh...!" she exclaimed in surprise, startling the bird as well. It flew off, most likely to the nest back at the window of James's office.

His office...

"Is everything fine with you Tora?"

Tora turned to see Mariela walking into the room, giving her a kind gaze. It was something, the Disciple imagined, a mother would give to her child.

"Nothing to worry about," she answered. "I was just wondering if those birds are going to start a... um, a family here?"

"I think they will," Mariela agreed. "Are you going to see them?"

"Sure!" Tora walked around Mariela, who simply smiled at her, and went downstairs.

But she took care not to enter the office whenever James was there, and that happened for the rest of the day. Maybe the awkward mood between them would disappear very soon, but maybe it can bring about a mishap or two, especially on Tora's mental wellbeing...

Still... on the bright side, as Valerie would sometimes say, it could get James to pay more attention to her.

But when they passed by, as Tora thought of this, bringing a platter of dinner to the table, James brushed her shoulder by the kitchen's doorway.

The girl nearly jumped and let go of the platter, shivering from the contact.

Unbeknownst to her, James tried not glance at her.

* * *

 ** _This honestly sounds like a romantic comedy short between James and Tora (and perhaps Feeva), rather than James's mentality being overridden, but... being perverted is only supposed to be a small part of this collection anyway. I hope you enjoyed it!_**


End file.
